Influence of carbonaceous materials on electronic conduction in electrode-slurry

Carbonaceous materials have been used as conductive materials for the composite electrodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Since an increase in the amount of conductive material implies a decrease in the capacity of the LIB, the amount of conductive material used should be kept to a minimum. Carbonaceous materials as conductive materials have various morphology and crystallinity, therefore, the fundamental study of carbonaceous materials as conductive materials is important. In this study, the electronic conductivity of electrode-slurries and composite electrodes prepared using different carbonaceous materials (acetylene black (AB), fine graphite, and vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF)) as the conductive material was investigated, and the effect of the different carbonaceous materials on the electron conduction network was discussed. In the electrode-slurry, AB and VGCF formed electron conduction paths and displayed high electronic conductivity. The electrode-slurry of AB displayed solid-like behavior, whereas the electrode-slurries of VGCF and graphite displayed fluid-like behavior. This difference influenced the electronic conductivity of the composite electrode.