New fluorine-free binder, electrolyte to advance eco-friendly battery tech

Batteries power almost everything today, from smartphones to electric cars. But the current batteries come with a hidden cost: harmful fluorinated compounds.

The rising emphasis on environmental protection is driving the demand for sustainable materials in battery technology.

Responding to the need, South Korean researchers have developed a non-fluorinated battery technology. The standard batteries typically rely on fluorinated binders and electrolytes, but this new technology is completely free of these harmful substances.

The non-fluorinated battery offers improved performance, a longer lifespan, and is more environmentally friendly. This eco-friendly development comes from Pohang University of Science and Technology and Hansol Chemical company.

“We haven’t just replaced fluorinated systems; we’ve proven high-capacity retention and outstanding stability,” said Soojin Park of POSTECH.

He added: “Our solution will advance the sustainability of the battery industry, facilitating the shift to non-fluorinated battery systems while ensuring environmental compliance.”

Traditional batteries release harmful substances

Fluorinated compounds — such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6, LP) — serve as major components of traditional lithium batteries.

However, the PVDF-LP system is associated with the release of harmful hydrogen fluoride (HF), which can reduce battery efficiency and lifespan. In addition, PVDF is non-biodegradable, which means it cannot decompose naturally and remains in the environment for a long time.

The European Union (EU) is becoming stricter in its regulations regarding PFAS, a group of chemicals that includes PVDF.

Due to these stricter regulations, it is expected that the EU will ban the use of PFAS by the year 2026. This indicates that the use of PVDF in lithium batteries will likely be prohibited in the EU within the next few years.

“Researchers from POSTECH and Hansol Chemical have designed a non-fluorinated battery system to comply with upcoming environmental regulations and enhance battery performance,” the press release noted.

The new tech

Specifically, they have developed a new electrolyte made from lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) to replace the fluorinated LiPF6 electrolyte. Also, they have created a non-fluorinated aromatic polyamide (APA) binder.

“This innovative “APA-LC” system is entirely free of fluorinated compounds,” the press release noted.

“The “APA binder” reinforces the bonding between the cathode’s active material and the aluminum current collector, preventing electrode corrosion in the electrolyte and significantly extending battery life,” it added.

Moreover, it uses lithium chloride and lithium oxide to lower the energy barrier, which facilitates ion movement. This leads to quicker lithium diffusion and superior performance compared to the existing LP system.

“Overall, the APA-LC system exhibited greater oxidation stability than the conventional PVDF-LP system and maintained 20% higher capacity retention after 200 cycles at a rapid charge/discharge rate of 1 C, within the 2.8–4.3 V range in a coin cell test,” as per the press release.

The researchers used the new APA-LC system to create a high-capacity 1.5 Ah pouch cell. Interestingly, the cell exhibited superior performance during both regular discharge and fast-charging tests.

“This marks the world’s first successful demonstration of a battery system that is entirely scalable and practical, made entirely from non-fluorinated materials, without any fluorinated compounds,” it noted.

The findings were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal .