Probing Clustering Dynamics between Silicon and PAA or LiPAA Slurries under Processing Conditions

Published

June 3, 2021

Author(s)

Mary Burdette-Trofimov, Beth Armstrong, Ryan Murphy, Luke Heroux, Mathieu Doucet, Alexander Rogers, Gabriel Veith

Abstract

This work explores the complex interplay between slurry aggregation, agglomeration, and conformation (i.e. shape) of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and lithiated poly(acrylic acid) (LiPAA) based silicon slurries as a function of shear rate, and the resulting slurry homogeneity. These values were measured by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and rheology coupled ultra-small angle neutron scattering (rheo-USANS) at conditions relevant to battery electrode casting. Different binder solution preparation methods, either a ball mill (BM) process or a planetary centrifugal mixing (PCM) process, dramatically modify the resulting polymer dynamics and organization around a silicon material. This is due to the different energy profiles of mixing where the more violent and higher energy PCM causes extensive breakdown and reformation of branched binder while the lower energy BM results in simply lower molecular weight linear polymers. The break down and reorganization of the polymer structure affects silicon slurry homogeneity, which affects subsequent electrode architecture.

Citation

ACS Applied Polymer Materials

Volume

3

Issue

5

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

Neutron scattering, Rheology, Lithium batteries, Polymers, Slurries

Citation

Burdette-Trofimov, M. , Armstrong, B. , Murphy, R. , Heroux, L. , Doucet, M. , Rogers, A. and Veith, G. (2021), Probing Clustering Dynamics between Silicon and PAA or LiPAA Slurries under Processing Conditions, ACS Applied Polymer Materials (Accessed April 23, 2024)