Lithium‐Ion Batteries Based on Carbon Nanomaterials

• Published in: Carbon Nanomaterials for Advanced Energy Systems pp. 339 - 364
• Main Authors: Landi, Brian J, Rogers, Reginald E, Forney, Michael W, Ganter, Matthew J
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ John Wiley & Sons, Inc 21.10.2015
• Subjects: carbon nanomaterials; conductive additives; current collectors; electrode composites; energy density; lithium‐ion batteries; multi‐walled carbon nanotubes; pouch cell batteries; single‐walled carbon nanotubes; ultrasonic bonding
• ISBN: 1118580788; 9781118580783
• DOI: 10.1002/9781118980989.ch10

Carbon nanomaterial current collectors offer great potential to increase the gravimetric energy density of lithium‐ion batteries, especially by replacing the copper for the anode. Increases in energy density can be made by decreasing component masses and/or increasing the energy of the battery by changing active material loading or structure. In addition to silicon and germanium, carbon nanomaterials such as single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have also been considered for use as anode materials. Conductive additives are especially important in cathode composites to provide sufficient electronic conductivity between the active cathode particles and the metal foil current collector. An example study with commercially available CNTs as current collectors for traditional lithium‐ion battery electrode composites shows how purification procedures can influence the current collector performance. Ultrasonic bonding is a technique that enables the scale‐up of free‐standing carbon nanomaterial‐based electrodes for use in pouch cell batteries.