Effects of an Integrated Separator/Electrode Assembly on Enhanced Thermal Stability and Rate Capability of Lithium-Ion Batteries

To improve the rate capability and safety of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), we developed an integrated separator/electrode by gluing polyethylene (PE) separators and electrodes using a polymeric adhesive (poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVdF). To fabricate thin and uniform polymer coating layers on the substrate, we applied the polymer solution using a spray-coating technique. PVdF was chosen because of its superior mechanical properties and stable electrochemical properties within the voltage range of commercial LIBs. The integrated separator/electrode showed superior thermal stability compared to that of the control PE separators. Although PVdF coating layers partially blocked the porous structures of the PE separators, resulting in reduced ionic conductivity (control PE = 0.666 mS cm^-1, PVdF-coated PE = 0.617 mS cm^-1), improved interfacial properties between the separators and the electrodes were obtained due to the intimate contact, and the rate capabilities of the LIBs based on integrated separators/electrodes showed 176.6% improvement at the 7 C rate (LIBs based on PVdF-coated and control PE maintained 48.4 and 27.4% of the initial discharge capacity, respectively).