Effect of Polymer Dispersant Addition on Functional Carbon Black Dispersion Behavior and Li Ion Battery Performance

In order to apply advanced carbon black with high surface area to Li-ion battery (LIB) electrode, the effect of polymer dispersant addition into raw materials suspension on the LIB performance was investigated. Four kinds of polymer dispersants, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) were used for the dispersion of carbon black particles in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) slurry, and the performance of prepared LIB by each dispersant was characterized. The battery performance of electrode prepared from carbon black with large specific surface area was developed by the addition of PVP. By the addition of PVP for large specific area carbon black, the additive content of carbon reduced to one third to obtain the same battery performance. Finally, to discuss the effect of dispersant molecular structure on battery performance, the force curve between carbon coated tip and substrate in NMP with different polymer dispersant was investigated by using atomic force microscope.