Advancements in portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops has increased demand for advances in battery technology.
For these applications, light-weight, long-lasting, and fast-charging batteries with a stable power source are favoured. These characteristics are also required for electric vehicle applications to an even greater degree.
An important aspect in the design of a battery is the physical properties of the electrode material, including particle size and shape, but also the properties of the electrode slurry. Rheology is particularly important and is critical for the electrode fabrication process.
Malvern has announced a virtual seminar, where experts from NETZSCH and Malvern will discuss how to optimally manufacture and characterise battery slurries and their active particle components to give the requisite end use battery properties and performance.
How to characterise and optimise electrode particle properties
Important aspects in the design of the battery are the particle size and size distribution and particle shape of the materials used within the electrodes. Electrodes with a small particle size increase the rate of electrochemical reactions due to their larger surface area, which is favorable in terms of power production.
Energy storage capacity and electrolyte mobility is related to porosity, which is influenced by particle size and particle shape distribution. Or this aspect, larger particle sizes are generally favoured.
To meet these conflicting requirements for both power and storage capacity, it is necessary to optimise both particle size, distribution, and shape.
Analytical methods such as image analysis and laser diffraction enable detailed characterisation of battery component materials in terms of their particle size and shape. Malvern’s presentation will outline how such information can be applied to reveal fundamental links between these parameters and final battery performance.
Measuring and controlling the rheological properties of battery slurries
The primary route for electrode manufacture is to apply a slurry or dispersion of electrode material onto a metal foil. The slurry is composed of electrode particles (anode or cathode) and binder material (solvent and polymer).
The rheology of the slurry is important for determining its stability, how easily it can be applied, and the resulting film properties including thickness and density, which influence ion transfer rate and recharge cycle time of the battery.
Malvern’s presentation will discuss the factors affecting the rheological properties of dispersions such as battery slurries. These factors include critical processing parameters such as shear rate and temperature, as well as compositional factors such as particle size, shape, and size distribution, which have a profound influence on the viscosity, viscoelastic and thixotropic properties.
With the help of case studies, the company will show how rheological tests can be used to optimise the production of battery slurries and subsequence electrode fabrication.
Battery manufacture
Batteries are used with mobile phones, tablets, computers, tools, toys, medical devices, cars, electric bicycles, and many more. To increase power, capacity, and lifecycle but reduce charging time, weight, and the size of batteries, we have to improve the chemical composition, the particle size distribution, and the homogeneity of battery slurries.
NETZSCH Grinding & Dispersing is a group of companies manufacturing equipment and machines for mixing, classification, dispersing, and dry and wet grinding.
Mixing technologies for the production of battery slurries
Part one of the presentation will give a survey of equipment for mixing, dispersing and homogenisation of binders, additives, and active materials for production of high-viscose battery slurries. The performance of three batteries produced with different production process will then be compared.
Dry and wet grinding of active battery materials
The second part of the presentation will provide an overview of dry and wet grinding technologies. Three different examples for grinding of active battery material will be discussed.
Presentation timetable
See below a timetable for the presentation:
- 10 min – Introduction by managing director at NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik Dimitrios Makraris
- 30 min – Mixing technologies for the production of battery slurries by President and CEO of NETZSCH Korea focus leader battery applications Steven Min
- 30 min – How to characterise and optimise electrode particle properties by associate product manager at Malvern Instruments Cathryn Langley
- 30 min – Dry and wet grinding of active battery materials by manager of technical and scientific communication at NETZSCH- Feinmahltechnik Dr.-Ing. Stefan Mende
- 30 min – Measuring and controlling the rheological properties of battery slurries by rheology specialist at Malvern Instruments Torsten Remmler
Speakers
Torsten Remmler is a rheology specialist at Malvern Instruments in Germany. Following his studies in physics at the University of Leipzig, Torsten Remmler has been working in various positions for application support and sales covering both rotational and capillary rheometry. Starting at Bohlin Instruments in 1998, Torsten Remmler joined Malvern Instruments in 2004 as an application and product specialist for rheometry.
Cathryn Langley is newly the associate product manager at Malvern Instruments. She joined the diffraction and imaging development team in 2012 after completing her studies in chemistry at the University of Oxford and has just returned to the UK from an 18 month secondment at Malvern’s Tokyo Application Lab to take up this new position for the imaging product line.
Dr.-Ing. Stefan Mende is manager of technical and scientific communication at NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik in Germany. After studying chemical engineering and mechanical engineering at universities in Halle and Freiberg between 1994 and 1999, he did his PhD study in Braunschweig at the Institute of Mechanical Process Engineering.
Dr. Mende joined NETZSCH in 2004. As a sales link between the engineering and marketing, he supports the sales as specialist for nanotechnology and life science, as well as for characterisation of dispersions.
Between 2008 and 2015, Dr. Mende was manager of research and development at NETZSCH-Feinmahltechnik. Since 2015, Dr. Stefan Mende has been manager of technical and scientific communications.
Steven Min is president and CEO of NETZSCH Korea’s focus leader battery applications. Between 1982 and 1986 he studied mechanical engineering at Chosun University. Since 1994, he was the president and CEO of NETZSCH KOREA and in 2013 he became vice-chairman of the Korean Society of Thermophysical Properties. In addition, since 2014 Steven Min has been focus leader of focus battery team worldwide for the NETZSCH business unit grinding & dispersing.
Who should attend?
This event is targeted at scientists and engineers involved in the development and manufacture of battery slurries and will provide an overview of the various physical factors impacting battery performance and how these factors can be measured and controlled during manufacture.
The event will take place on 15 November (Europe) at 14:30-16:40 (GMT). For the asia-pacific, it will take place on 16 November 06:00-08:10 GMT.
