Graphene Oxide Electrode Processing for Higher Battery Conductivity

The patent introduces graphene oxide as an intermediary substance that mediates between the insulating binder and the active materials. The graphene oxide forms a conductive network that bridges isolated active material particles, allowing electron transport while the binder maintains structural integrity. This resolves the contradiction by adding a third component that performs the conductive function without compromising the binder's binding function.

The patent creates a composite structure consisting of active materials, insulating binder, and conductive graphene oxide. This composite material system allows the binder to perform its binding function while the graphene oxide provides the conductive pathway. The composite approach enables both structural integrity and electron conductivity to coexist by distributing different functions across different components.

The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the conductive additive by using graphene oxide instead of conventional acetylene black. Graphene oxide has higher theoretical conductivity and forms more efficient conductive networks at lower concentrations. This parameter change allows achieving the same or better conductivity with less additive, thereby preserving more active material and maintaining discharge capacity.

The patent applies conductive graphene oxide locally at the interfaces between active material particles and between active materials and the current collector. Rather than uniformly distributing conductive additives throughout the electrode, the graphene oxide concentrates conductive pathways where they are most needed - at the contact points and interfaces - thus providing efficient conductivity without diluting the active material content throughout the entire electrode.