Aqueous Processed Ni-Rich Li(Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1)O2 Cathodes Along with Water-Based Binders and a Carbon Fabric as 3-D Conductive Host

A carbon fabric with three-dimensional carbon fiber network is proposed as a conductive framework instead of Al current collector, in order to fabricate a LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM 811 ) cathode using an environmentally friendly water-based process. Water-based NCM 811 slurries prepared without binder, with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) binder, and with poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) binder have the equilibrium pH values of 12.4, 6.7, and 12.6, respectively. Without a binder, the cathode materials are poorly dispersed in the slurry, which hinders smooth casting on the carbon fabric. The addition of either PAA or PAN improves the uniform dispersion of particles and the loading capability of slurries, leading to a lower impedance of the cast cathodes. Compared to PAA, PAN performs better with the carbon fabric as a conductive framework, due to the better dispersion of electrode materials, lower impedance in the fabricated electrode, and good chemical stability of PAN to the electrolyte. The cell constructed with PAN-added cathode exhibits a high specific capacity of 150–160 mAh g −1 at a charge/discharge rate of 0.5 C, and nearly 100% capacity retention after 100 cycles. Nevertheless, PAA is soluble in the electrolyte and has some negative effects on the capacity performance of the constructed cell.