Towards Scalable Production of Sodium-Ion Batteries: Solvent-Free Layered-Oxide Cathodes and Aqueous-Processed Hard Carbon Anodes for Cost-Effective Full-Cell Manufacturing

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Johannes Kühn - , Chair of Inorganic Chemistry I, Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Florian Schmidt - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Pascal Seete - , Chair of Inorganic Chemistry I, Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Tom Boenke - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Florian S. Hoffmann - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Arthur Dupuy - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Benjamin Schumm - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Thomas Abendroth - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Holger Althues - , Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)
  • Stefan Kaskel - , Chair of Inorganic Chemistry I, Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (Author)

Abstract

Achieving commercial viability for more sustainable sodium-ion batteries (SIB) necessitates reducing the environmental impact of production, particularly originating from electrode drying and the use of toxic solvents like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). This study presents the dry-processing of commercial P2-type Na0.75Ni0.25Fe0.25Mn0.50O2 (NFM) via the DRYtraec® process, aiming to lower the binder content of 1 wt.% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and eliminating the need for electrode drying and NMP recovery. Assessments of electrode morphology and active material crystallinity were conducted to gauge the effects of mechanical stress during processing. The resulting cathodes, loaded at a commercially relevant 2.3–2.7 mAh cm−2 loading, were successfully paired with aqueous-processed hard carbon (HC) anodes, demonstrating stable performance in full-cells. Comparative analysis with entirely wet-processed electrodes revealed comparable capacity accessibility and comparable long-term stability. This showed the competitiveness of dry-processed cathodes. Finally, the integration of NMP-free, dry-processed cathodes and aqueous-processed anodes was scaled to the commercially relevant prototype pouch-cell. The cell demonstrates stable cycling for 400 cycles with an energy density of 102 Wh kg−1 as well as reduced processing costs and environmental footprint.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202400572
JournalBatteries and Supercaps
Volume8
Issue number5
Early online date25 Jan 2025
Publication statusPublished - May 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • batteries, dry-coating, full-cell, NFM, pouch-cell, sodium-ion, solvent-free