3D printing Feasibility Study: Optimizing LFP inks through advance binder selection

Shad Ibn Anam Khan^a, Tomás Garcia^a, Daniele Mantione^b, David Mecerreyes^b, Sergio Pinilla^a

^aElectrochemical Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Avda. Ramón de la Sagra 3, 28935, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain

^bPOLYMAT – University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastián (Spain).

Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2026 Conference (MATSUSSpring26)

F3 Processing and manufacturing of next generation batteries

Barcelona, Spain, 2026 March 23rd - 27th

Organizer: Sergio Pinilla

Poster, Shad Ibn Anam Khan, 960
Publication date: 15th December 2025

The leap from traditional 2D casting to 3D-printed lithium iron phosphate (LFP) electrodes needs the optimization of inks that maintain high mass loading and robust adhesion without sacrificing electrochemical integrity. In this poster, we present a comparative study of the inks based on three binder systems: CMC (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose), CMC:SBR (Styrene-Butadiene Rubber) blend and PDADMA-DEP (polydiallylmethylammonium diethyl phosphate) to identify an ideal candidate ink for the future direct ink writing (DIW) applications. Inks were evaluated based on their viscoelastic properties, to ensure shear thinning behaviour while allowing flow stability through rheology tests. Then electrodes were fabricated using doctor blade method to establish the performance baseline of the inks emphasizing on the trade-off between mass loading and adhesion properties. Later, Galvanostatic Cycling (GC) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to compare the performance of the three systems and study the effect of the binders on the interfaces. Our findings reveal that the industry standard CMC: SBR based inks suffer from viscosity degradation over time which compromises their shelf life. Conversely, PDADMA based inks exhibited excellent rheological stability and enabled inks with higher solid content and electrodes with higher mass loading. The findings of this study indicate that PDADMA-DEP has the potential to serve as an effective binder in the fabrication of 3D-printed LFP electrodes with controlled architectures.

References:

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