Scientists have developed a new manufacturing method that could dramatically improve the strength, durability, and performance of battery electrodes—especially those used in electric vehicles and large energy storage systems.
The innovation, created by researchers from the Korea Institute of Energy Research, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Ulsan, was recently published in Energy & Environmental Science.
The team focused on improving the dry-process method, a way of making battery electrodes without using liquid solvents.
Today, most commercial batteries rely on a wet manufacturing process, where materials are mixed with a solvent to create a smooth, well-blended coating.
While reliable, the wet process uses toxic chemicals, requires long drying times, and consumes a lot of energy—making it expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
Dry processes eliminate solvents entirely, reducing pollution and speeding up production. However, they’ve had a major weakness: without a solvent to dissolve and spread the binder, it’s hard to mix materials evenly or maintain strong cohesion between particles.
This leads to weaker electrodes that wear down faster and deliver lower battery performance.
The researchers found an elegant solution by redesigning the structure of the binder material used in dry processing.
Instead of replacing the traditional PTFE binder, they changed how it forms fibers inside the electrode.
Their new approach creates a “dual-fiber” structure made of both fine, thread-like fibers and thicker, rope-like fibers.
To achieve this, they divided the binder mixing process into two steps. In the first step, a small amount of binder is added to form thin, delicate fibers that wrap evenly around the active materials and conductive additives.
These fine fibers help distribute particles more uniformly, improving the battery’s efficiency and electrochemical reactions. In the second step, more binder is added, creating thicker fibers that act like strong ropes, tightly reinforcing the structure and giving the electrode much higher mechanical strength.
This combination solves two major problems at once: it improves mixing uniformity and significantly boosts the electrode’s durability. Tests showed that reactions inside the electrode occur more evenly across all regions, reducing energy loss and helping prevent premature performance decline.
The results are impressive. The new dry electrode achieved an areal capacity of 10.1 mAh/cm², and when paired with a lithium metal anode in a pouch cell, it reached an energy density of 349 Wh/kg.
That’s roughly 40% higher than many commercial electrodes. A pouch cell using a graphite anode reached 291 Wh/kg, about 20% higher than a similar cell made with the conventional wet process.
Lead researcher Dr. Gyujin Song said the method could greatly reduce manufacturing costs and benefit industries that rely on high-energy batteries, such as electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems.
The new fiber-weaving approach could mark a major step toward cleaner, faster, and more efficient battery production.
