A chemometric investigation of the effect of the process parameters on the performance of mixed Si/C electrodes

Silicon composite anodes are attractive candidates to replace present day carbonaceous anodes. In particular, silicon possess the highest theoretical capacity in an appropriate potential window, it is abundant and environmentally friendly. The present work consists of a systematic investigation of the influence of parameters during composite electrode fabrication. The following factors have been considered: SBR content, CMC content, slurry water content, drying temperature, and pressing force. A full factorial 25 experimental design was applied, considering two response variables: achieved cycle number at fixed capacity cycling test (y1), and maximal observed coulombic efficiency (y2). All statistically significant factors and their interactions have been identified.