Electrode binder slurry composition for lithium ion electrical storage devices

1. A slurry composition comprising:

(a) an electrochemically active material; and

(b) a binder comprising:

(i) a polymer comprising a fluoropolymer dispersed in an organic medium, wherein the organic medium comprises less than 50% by weight water, based on the total weight of the organic medium; and

(ii) a dispersant comprising an addition polymer comprising constitutional units comprising a residue of a heterocyclic group-containing ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

2. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the heterocyclic group-containing ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises an epoxy functional ethylenically unsaturated monomer, vinyl pyrrolidone, or combinations thereof.

3. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the addition polymer further comprises constitutional units comprising the residue of methyl (meth)acrylate.

4. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the addition polymer comprises constitutional units comprising residues of an epoxy functional ethylenically unsaturated monomer and methyl (meth)acrylate.

5. The slurry composition of claim 4 , wherein the addition polymer comprises constitutional units comprising 0.1% to 50% by weight of the residue of the epoxy functional ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and 1% to 90% by weight of the residue of methyl (meth)acrylate, the % by weight based on the total weight of the addition polymer.

6. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the addition polymer comprises constitutional units comprising the residues of vinyl pyrrolidone and methyl (meth)acrylate.

7. The slurry composition of claim 6 , wherein the addition polymer comprises constitutional units comprising 1% to 99% by weight of the residue of vinyl pyrrolidone and 1% to 99% by weight of the residue of methyl (meth)acrylate, the % by weight based on the total weight of the addition polymer.

8. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the addition polymer comprises at least one heterocyclic group, and a compound having a functional group reactive with the heterocyclic group is grafted onto the addition polymer by reaction with the heterocyclic group.

9. The slurry composition of claim 8 , wherein the compound having a functional group reactive with the heterocyclic group comprises an aromatic compound.

10. The slurry composition of claim 8 , wherein the functional group comprises thiol, amino, hydroxyl, carboxylic acid or combinations thereof.

11. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium has an evaporation rate of less than 10 g/min m 2 , at the dissolution temperature of the fluoropolymer dispersed in the organic medium.

12. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium has an evaporation rate greater than 80 g/min m 2 , at 180° C.

13. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises butyl pyrrolidone, trialkylphosphate, 1,2,3-triacetoxypropane, 3-methoxy-N,N-dimethylpropanamide, ethyl acetoacetate, gamma-butyrolactone, propylene glycol methyl ether, or combinations thereof.

14. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises a primary solvent comprising trialkylphosphate and a co-solvent.

15. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the addition polymer is prepared by conventional free radical initiated solution polymerization of a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising at least one heterocyclic group-containing ethylenically unsaturated monomer dissolved in a second organic medium.

16. The slurry composition of claim 15 , wherein the second organic medium used to prepare the addition polymer is the same as the organic medium of the slurry composition.

17. The slurry composition of claim 1 , further comprising a second addition polymer free of heterocyclic groups.

18. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the slurry is substantially free of isophorone.

19. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the slurry is substantially free of N- methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

20. The slurry composition of claim 1 , further comprising (c) an electrically conductive agent.

21. The slurry composition of claim 20 , wherein the electrically conductive agent comprises graphite, acetylene black, furnace black, graphene, carbon nanotubes, or combinations thereof.

22. The slurry composition of claim 20 , wherein the electrically conductive agent comprises conductive carbon material having a surface area of 100 m 2 /g to 1000 m 2 /g.

23. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises more than 50% by weight of an organic solvent, based on the total weight of the organic medium.

24. The slurry composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic medium comprises at least 70% by weight of an organic solvent, based on the total weight of the organic medium.

25. A slurry composition comprising:

(a) an electrically conductive agent; and

(b) a binder comprising:

(i) a polymer comprising a fluoropolymer dispersed in an organic medium, wherein the organic medium comprises less than 50% by weight water, based on the total weight of the organic medium; and

(ii) a dispersant comprising an addition polymer comprising constitutional units comprising a residue of a heterocyclic group-containing ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

26. An electrode comprising:

(a) an electrical current collector; and

(b) a film formed on the electrical current collector, wherein the film is deposited from the slurry composition of claim 20 .

27. The electrode of claim 26 , wherein the electrical current collector (a) comprises copper or aluminum in the form of a mesh, sheet or foil.

28. The electrode of claim 26 , wherein the electrode comprises a positive electrode.

29. The electrode of claim 26 , wherein the electrode comprises a negative electrode.

30. The electrode of claim 26 , wherein the film is cross-linked.

31. The electrode of claim 26 , wherein the electrical current collector is pretreated with a pretreatment composition.

32. An electrical storage device comprising:

(a) electrode of claim 26 ;

(b) a counter electrode; and

(c) an electrolyte.

33. The electrical storage device of claim 32 , wherein the electrolyte (c) comprises a lithium salt dissolved in a solvent.

34. The electrical storage device of claim 33 , wherein the lithium salt is dissolved in an organic carbonate.

35. The electrical storage device of claim 32 , wherein the electrical storage device comprises a cell, a battery pack, a secondary battery, a capacitor, or a supercapacitor.