Complex rheological response of Li-ion battery anode slurries

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the complex rheological properties of lithium-ion battery anode slurries, vital for optimizing the battery manufacturing process. The transient behavior of the slurry is significantly influenced by time and shear rate scales, as evidenced through a series of rheological measurements. Yielding behaviors at low stress and shear rate ranges are identified, offering insights into microstructural changes of slurries. The slurry behaves as a thixo-viscoelastic material in the intermediate shear rate range, as indicated by stress overshoots and undershoots. The Maxwell model is employed to further interpret our data, highlighting the dominance of viscoelastic response in short time scales. The thixotropic effect is incorporated to qualitatively comprehend the long-term behavior of the slurry. In high shear rate ranges, the slurry exhibits a distinct shear-thinning behavior, where stress equilibrium is reached immediately. Our findings offer valuable insights into the industrial electrode manufacturing process, and the emphasis on time and shear rate scales in this study allows for the extension of these findings to different types of battery slurries, thereby laying the groundwork for subsequent detailed investigations.