Effect of LiCoO2 Cathode Density and Thickness on Electrochemical Performance of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The consequences of electrode density and thickness for electrochemical performance of lithium-ion cells are investigated using 2032-type coin half cells. While the cathode composition is maintained by 90:5:5 (wt.%) with $LiCoO_2$ active material, Super-P electric conductor and polyvinylidene fluoride polymeric binder, its density and thickness are independently controlled to 20, 35, 50 um and 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 g $cm^{-3}$, respectively, which are based on commercial lithium-ion battery cathode system. As the cathode thickness is increased in all densities, the rate capability and cycle life of lithium-ion cells become significantly worse. On the other hand, even though the cathode density shows similar behavior, its effect is not as high as the thickness in our experimental range. This trend is also investigated by cross-sectional morphology, porosity and electric conductivity of cathodes with different densities and thicknesses. This work suggests that the electrode density and thickness should be chosen properly and mentioned in detail in any kinds of research works.