Zeon Intros BM-400B Lithium-Ion Battery Binder

Zeon Corp. (Louisville, KY) announced that it has developed a new binder polymer for lithium-ion battery negative electrodes that offers substantial performance improvements over conventional PVDF-based binders. The new BM-400B binder can be applied to natural graphite electrodes and, since it has higher binding strength, it is possible to use lower amounts of binder in each battery. The result is the ability to increase the ratio of active ingredients to binder, raising battery capacity.

More flexible electrodes can be produced using BM-400B due to its low glass transition temperature of -5°C. At the same time, the BM-400B has excellent heat resistance, which allows it to withstand the electrode manufacturing process. Its thermal decomposition temperature exceeds 340°C (N2). Supplied as an aqueous dispersion, BM-400B is safe to use without risk of ignition or need for costly solvent recovery. It is typically used in combination with carboxy methyl cellulose thickener.