# A Simple Hot-Pressing Strategy for Thick Lithium Iron Phosphate Electrodes with Outstanding Electrochemical Properties

## TL;DR

A new hot-pressing method creates thick, high-performance lithium iron phosphate electrodes for better battery performance.

## Contribution

A scalable hot-pressing strategy enables thick, high-loading LFP electrodes without compromising performance.

## Key findings

- Thick electrodes (150–650 μm) with high areal capacities (17 and 13.5 mAh cm–2) were achieved.
- Cycling stability with no capacity loss over 300 cycles at high loading (120 mg cm–2) was demonstrated.
- The method uses standard additives and requires minimal changes to current industrial processes.

## Abstract

The growing demand
for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage
has intensified the need for Li-ion batteries with higher energy density.
One effective strategy is the use of high mass loading electrodes,
which increase the ratio between active and inactive materials. However,
conventional tape casting techniques face challenges in producing
thick electrodes as mechanical consistency deteriorates beyond a certain
thickness. Alternative methods have been explored but often require
changes in additives or compromise electrochemical performance. In
this work, we present a simple and scalable modification of the traditional
electrode fabrication process. By drying the NMP solvent before pressing
and applying low-temperature hot pressing (190 °C), we obtain
thick (150–650 μm), homogeneous, and mechanically robust
electrodes that retain the use of standard additives such as carbon
black and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). A full cell composed of
LFP/LP30/LTO delivered outstanding results: high areal capacities
(17 and 13.5 mAh cm–2 at C/25 and C/4), and exceptional
cycling stability with no capacity loss over 300 cycles at C/12, despite
a high loading of 120 mg cm–2 (650 μm). This
approach requires minimal changes to current industrial processes,
offering a promising route for next-generation Li-ion batteries with
improved energy density and performance.