Ecohelix and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden collaborated on a preliminary study to explore the potential of Ecohelix WOODMER®, a bio-based polymer, as a battery material. The project was titled “Improving the performance of Li-Ion battery anodes with sustainable WOODMER®”. Ecohelix WOODMER® is a novel, high-performance, wood-derived polymer offering a sustainable alternative to fossil-based polymers. It’s sourced from certified Nordic forests, utilizing pulp industry side streams as raw material. The unique lignocellulosic compounds are processed with enzymes and membrane technology, making it both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Notably, WOODMER® boasts 98% bio-based carbon (Dincertco certificate: 8C243) and an exceptional sustainability profile.
This polymer has a relatively high molecular weight and possesses film-forming, amphiphilic, tacky, and thermosoftening properties, making it versatile for various industrial applications. Prior research and customer validations have shown promising results for WOODMER® as a dispersing agent for different materials. Therefore, this project focused on its use as a dispersant in anode manufacturing.
“In lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), conductive additives and their efficient dispersion are essential components that directly influence the electrochemical performance, efficiency, and longevity of the battery. These additives are important because the active materials used in both the anode and cathode often have limited electrical conductivity. The novel bio-based WOODMER dispersant, produced in Sweden, is of high interest to improve dispersing of the conductive additives in electrodes” – says Dr. Illia Dobryden, Scientist and Raman Spectrocopy specialist at RISE.
During the project several grades and functionalized WOODMER® products (with varying molecular weight, charge density, and lignin to carbohydrate ratio) have been tested as a dispersant in LiB anode and the results were very promising. Promising performance improvements were observed compared to current state-of-the-art solutions to disperse carbon black in the market. It was found that WOODMER® could reduce slurry mixing time, resulting in savings in production costs (both time and energy) and improved battery performance at a 1C rate test.
“These highly promising results have us enthusiastic about the future. The project will continue to assess performance on a larger scale. We extend our gratitude to the entire project team, especially to Lisa Höglund at Ecohelix and Illia Dobryden at RISE for their contributions to this fascinating topic. We are thankful to Energimyndigheter for providing funding for this project, says Petri Oinonen, PhD, CEO and Founder of Ecohelix.