Researchers at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) have developed South Korea’s first PTFE-free dry electrode manufacturing technology, offering a new approach to producing high-performance lithium-ion batteries with improved fast-charging capability and lower environmental impact.
The research, conducted in collaboration with the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), was published in the journal Energy Storage Materials.
PTFE-Free Process Improves Battery Performance
The team, led by Jihee Yoon of KIMS and Insung Hwang of KERI, developed a dry electrode manufacturing process that eliminates the need for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a fluorinated binder widely used in conventional dry-electrode production.
Instead, the researchers employed a CMC-SBR binder system, already commonly used in commercial wet-electrode manufacturing, together with a newly engineered graphite particle structure.
Dry-electrode manufacturing has attracted growing attention because it reduces the use of organic solvents and energy-intensive drying processes, lowering production costs and carbon emissions. However, most existing dry-electrode technologies depend on PTFE, which has raised environmental concerns and may negatively affect battery performance in anode applications.
To overcome these limitations, the researchers produced shape-controlled graphite granules through a spray-drying process using graphite, conductive additives and binders.
Unlike conventional plate-like graphite particles, the engineered granules feature a randomly oriented isotropic internal structure, creating multidirectional lithium-ion transport pathways throughout the electrode. This design reduces transport limitations that typically occur in thick electrodes and helps maintain performance during repeated charging and discharging.
Faster Charging and Longer Battery Life
Laboratory testing showed that the newly developed dry anode outperformed conventional slurry-based anodes in both fast-charging performance and long-term cycling stability.
The technology also improved lithium-ion diffusion under high-energy-density operating conditions, supporting the development of thicker electrodes capable of storing more energy without sacrificing charging speed.
According to the researchers, the approach could contribute to electric vehicle batteries that offer both longer driving range and faster charging, while also supporting energy storage systems and other high-capacity battery applications.
Because the technology uses the commercially established CMC-SBR binder system, it could be more readily adopted for large-scale manufacturing than alternative dry-electrode processes.
In addition to reducing dependence on fluorinated materials, the process minimizes solvent use and drying requirements, potentially lowering manufacturing costs and reducing carbon emissions.
“This technology presents a new approach capable of overcoming the limitations of conventional PTFE-based dry-electrode processes,” said Jihee Yoon, senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Materials Science.
“We expect it to be highly applicable to next-generation EV batteries that require both high energy density and fast-charging performance.”
