Kneading and Dispersing of Electrode Materials for Secondary Lithium lon Batteries and Its Evaluation

The aim of this study is to establish methods for evaluating the dispersion of electrode materials in the process of manufacturing electrodes for secondary lithium ion batteries. In an experiment, materials were mixed and kneaded into paste, with various agitation times and binder-adding methods. After being conditioned, the paste was applied to the base plate, and electrode material dispersion in the coating film was evaluated. Methods for evaluating such dispersion before application were also studied.The study revealed that electrode material dispersion can be quantitatively evaluated by measuring the volume resistance, gloss, thickness and apparent density of the film, and systematically examining the measured values. The results of the study imply that dispersion in the paste can be evaluated by measuring paste particle size distribution and electric conductivity.