Astonishing performance improvements of dry-film graphite anode for reliable lithium-ion batteries

The electric vehicle (EV) market now requires advanced graphite anodes that can enable both high loading and quick charging. However, meeting these requirements simultaneously is challenging because of uneven electrochemical reactions and Li-plating on the surface of graphite anodes during fast-charging. In this study, high current density graphite anodes (≈6 mA cm⁻²) were fabricated through a solvent-free dry-electrode process using homogeneously dispersed polytetrafluoroethylene fibrils (2.0 wt% in electrode). This approach significantly improved the mechanical properties and electrochemical performance of graphite anodes during charge/discharge cycles. Dry-processed graphite anodes outperformed conventional wet-processed electrodes in terms of rate performance and capacity retention. Furthermore, LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ (NCM)/graphite coin-type full cells are rapidly charged at a 3C-rate to induce Li-plating on the graphite surface. Thus, dry-processed graphite anodes exhibited less Li-plating than wet-processed anodes, implying that dry-processed electrodes are capable of fast-charging even under high-loading conditions. In addition, dry-processed graphite anodes retain 88.2 % capacity retention after 300 cycles, indicating a stable full-cell operation. Consequently, this research highlights the dry-electrode process as an innovative technique for electrode manufacturing, with the potential to reduce battery production costs while improving electrochemical performance during fast-charging.