Work

Comparative Study of Binder Stability for Aqueous Lithium-Ion and Solid-Boosted Flow Batteries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The replacement of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with environmentally friendly binders offers potential advantages in the development of aqueous lithium-ion batteries (ALIBs) and flow batteries (FBs) incorporating solid charge carriers (so-called solid boosters). This study investigates the electrochemical stability of ethyl cellulose and cross-linked gluten as substitutes for PVDF in LiMn₂O₄ (LMO) cathodes for aqueous Li-ion battery electrodes and solid boosters for FBs. The millimetre-scaled solid booster beads must be easily produced on a large scale, and at the same time, their charging and discharging must be reversible over long durations under electrolyte tank conditions. The binders were tested under standardized conditions for discharge capacity and cycling stability. Our results demonstrate that ethyl cellulose and cross-linked gluten can rival the electrochemical stability of PVDF, maintaining initial discharge capacities near 100 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.2C for LMO cathodes and exhibiting reasonable capacity retention over hundreds of cycles. This work supports the feasibility of sustainable electrode processing, provides promising directions for scalable, eco-friendly electrode fabrication methods, and highlights promising binder candidates for use in aqueous energy storage systems.

Source: Processes

DOI: 10.3390/pr13103338

Authors: Silver Sepp, Maarja Paalo, Pekka Peljo

Institutions: University of Tartu, University of Turku, Aalto University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced battery technologies research

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Responsible consumption and production, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896