Employing polyaniline conductive binders for graphite lithium-ion anodes via a dry process

Improving manufacturing energy efficiency and electrode energy density can reduce the costs of producing lithium-ion batteries. This paper explores using conductive polymer polyaniline (PANI) instead of insulating binders like PVDF in dry electrode preparation methods. Experiments demonstrate that PANI can simultaneously serve as an effective binder and conductive agent for graphite anodes, produced through an optimized dry process. The high conductivity and electrochemical properties of dry PANI electrodes provide a promising route to lowering inactive components and LIB manufacturing costs. Specifically, the dry PANI graphite anodes demonstrate higher discharge capacity compared to PVDF-based electrodes, especially at high discharge rates relevant to applications. The dry PANI graphite negative electrode, obtained by hot pressing at 170 °C, exhibits the best comprehensive electrochemical performance compared to those from other dry PANI processes. This paper provides new ideas for the selection of binders in dry-process electrode fabrication.