Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Lithium-ION Batteries through the Optimization of Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese Electrodes

Global warming has evolved from a distant concern into an urgent reality, largely caused by excessive greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion. To address this challenge, transitioning to renewable sources is essential, though their intermittency requires efficient energy storage. Lithium-ion batteries stand out in this context due to their high energy density, long cycle life, and ability to stabilize clean energy supply. Among them, nickel–cobalt–manganese (NCM) cathode batteries are promising for high-performance applications, yet they still face challenges such as limited cycle stability and electrode degradation.
This work investigates optimization strategies by varying electrode formulations and applying different degrees of calendering. Four slurries were prepared with active material:binder:conductive additive ratios of 85:5:10, 90:5:5, 90:2.5:7.5, and 92.5:2.5:7.5, using NMC 622 as the active material, PVDF as the binder, BP2000 as the conductive additive, and NMP as the solvent. Electrodes were coated at 200 µm, dried at 60 °C, and calendered to the maximum compaction limit.
The 92.5:2.5:7.5 formulation reached higher compaction and density, while the best electrochemical performance was observed for 90:5:5, delivering ~150–160 mA·h/g with low charge-transfer resistance. The 85:5:10 formulation showed higher impedance and lower performance. All cells exhibited capacity fade at high charge rates but recovered at 1.0 C, sustaining over 1,000 cycles.