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Lithium-ion batteries using metal foil-free electrodes toward sustainable battery circulation

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Abstract

Limiting the metal species present in the battery, such as the metal foils used for current collection, is an effective strategy to reduce the cost of recycling lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This study elucidates the performances of LIBs without metal foils by investigating LIBs using self-standing electrodes with an edge or full contact at the current terminals. Although the Cu foil on the negative electrode had little effect on battery performance, the Al foil on the positive electrode was critical in determining the characteristics of the battery, especially its rate properties. The low electronic conductivity of the positive electrode resulted in the localization of the reaction area at the electrode edge, as predicted by simulations. The rate characteristics were significantly improved by inserting a non-metallic graphite sheet into the back of the positive electrode. Thus, LIBs without metal foils can be obtained by ensuring the electrical resistance of the positive electrode.

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  1. Toyota Central R&D Labs, Inc., Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1192, Japan

    Hideaki Oka, Hiroki Kondo, Masaki Hasegawa & Hiroyuki Nakano

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  1. Hideaki Oka
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Correspondence to Hideaki Oka.

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Oka, H., Kondo, H., Hasegawa, M. et al. Lithium-ion batteries using metal foil-free electrodes toward sustainable battery circulation. J Appl Electrochem 53, 487–499 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-022-01791-x

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