리튬이온배터리는 높은 에너지 저장 효율과 환경 지속 가능성으로 점점 더 많은 관심을 받고 있다. PU 기반 리튬이온배터리에 사용되는 기존의 고분자 (polyurethane, PU) 바인더는 높은 유연성과 기 계적 강도를 제공하여 전극의 부피 변화를 감소시키고 구조적 안정성을 확보하는데 효과적이지만, 이와같 은 고분자 계열의 바인더는 전기전도도가 낮고 생산 및 폐기 과정에서 환경 문제를 야기할 수 있다. 따라 서, 본 연구에서는 이러한 고분자계 바인더의 단점을 해결하고자 고분자계 바인더로 많이 사용되는 PU 기 반 리튬이온배터리에 비해 향상된 전기화학적 성능과 안정성을 가진 새로운 바인더로서 석유계 피치 (SM260)/고분자 (polyurethane, PU) 복합소재 기반 바인더를 개발하였다. 특히, PU 바인더가 적용된 리튬 이온배터리는 100 사이클 후 가역 용량이 80 mAh/g으로, 초기 용량의 25%의 용량 유지율을 나타낸 반면, 본 연구에서 개발한 석유계 피치 (SM260)/고분자 (polyurethane, PU) 복합소재 복합 바인더가 적용된 리 튬이온배터리는 100 사이클 후 가역용량이 208 mAh/g으로 유지되고, 초기 용량의 68% 용량 유지율을 나 타내었다.

The lithium-ion battery has been utilized in various fields including energy storage system, portable electronic devices and electric vehicles due to their high energy and power densities, low self-discharge, and long cycle-life performances. However, despite of various research on electrode materials, there is a lack of research on developing of binder to replace conventional polymer-based binding materials. In this work, petroleum pitch (MP-50)/polymer (polyurethane, PU) composite binder for lithium-ion battery has fabricated not only to use as a binding material, but also to re-place conventional polymer-based binder. The MP-50/PU composite binder has also prepared to various ratios between petroleum pitch and polymer to optimize the physical and electro-chemical performance of the lithium-ion battery based on the MP-50/PU composite binder. The physical and electrochemical performances of the MP-50/PU composite binder-based lithium-ion battery were evaluated using a universal testing machine (UTM), charge/discharge test. As a result, lithium-ion battery based on the MP-50/PU composite (5:5, mass ratio) binder showed optimized performances with 1.53 gf mm− 1 of adhesion strength, 341 mAh g− 1 of specific discharge capacity and 99.5% of ICE value.

The lithium ion battery has applied to various fields of energy storage systems such as electric vehicle and potable electronic devices in terms of high energy density and long-life cycle. Despite of various research on the electrode and electrolyte materials, there is a lack of research for investigating of the binding materials to replace polymer based binder. In this study, we have investigated petroleum pitch/polymer composite with various ratios between petroleum pitch and polymer in order to optimize the electrochemical and physical performance of the lithium-ion battery based on petroleum pitch/polymer composite binder. The electrochemical and physical performances of the petroleum pitch/polymer composite binder based lithium-ion battery were evaluated by using a charge/discharge test, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and universal testing machine (UTM). As a result, the petroleum pitch(MP-50)/polymer(PVDF) composite (5:5 wt % ratio) binder based lithium-ion battery showed 1.29 gf mm-1 of adhesion strength with 144 mAh g-1 of specific dis-charge capacity and 93.1 % of initial coulombic efficiency(ICE) value.