Influence of the Semidry Water‐Based NMC622 Cathode Production on Electrode Properties and Electrochemical Performance in Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Solvent‐reduced, water‐based electrode production offers great opportunities in reducing the energy demand and enables a sustainable electrode production process. This study explores the semidry, water‐based production of NMC622 cathodes using an innovative production route. The high solid content of the suspension required an extrusion process for the production of granules, further used in the film formation process. Various screw configurations and screw speeds were examined to analyze the extrusion parameters. The resulting electrodes were produced with a two‐roller calender, and resistance measurements, along with scanning electron microscope analysis, revealed that a feeding screw configuration produced the best results with the lowest electrical resistance and no particle breakage. In the second part of the study the film formation process was investigated, in which the areal loading, the roller speed, and the porosity were varied. Electrical resistance measurements showed that electrodes produced at lower roller speed exhibited increased interface resistance and cracked NMC particles, leading to decreased cell performance in full cells. Cell testing revealed that electrodes manufactured at higher roller speed had lower first cycle coulombic efficiency, indicating increased moisture degradation. The best‐performing electrode had the lowest areal loading and demonstrated excellent capacity retention of approximately 93% after 330 cycles.