Thick battery electrodes comprised of only electroactive material have potential application advantages of relatively high energy density at the cell level due to reductions in the relative fractions of inactive components. In some cases, these electrodes undergo a thermal treatment step and are referred to as sintered electrodes. When using a sintered electrode, and a relatively thick electrode in general, the longer path lengths for ion diffusion results in relatively high ionic overpotential in the cell. In addition, because there are not conductive additives in the electrode, electronic conduction must be facilitated by the electroactive material itself. This results in high electronic conductivity being desirable for the electroactive materials chosen across the entire range of composition or lithiation experienced during cycling. The ionic overpotential resulting from ion transport through the thick sintered electrode pore microstructure, and the electronic overpotential resulting from electron conduction through the electroactive material itself, have been supported as the primary contributors that result in voltage inefficiency and reduced capacity at high rates of electrochemical reactions for sintered electrodes. In this talk, simulations of the overpotential contributions will be described to assess the relative influence of different electrode properties. Then, strategies to mitigate these overpotential descriptions will be described, both with regards to materials properties and materials processing; and experimental results employing these materials and processing routes will be discussed.

Thick sintered lithium-ion battery electrodes: Simulation and characterization of ionic and electronic conductivity considerations

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ACS Fall 2022

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