{
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    "id": "term:binder",
    "type": "Term",
    "label": "Binder",
    "properties": {
      "id": "binder",
      "name": "Binder",
      "section": "topic-components",
      "definition": "A polymer that holds electrode particles to each other and to the foil — typically PVDF for positive electrodes and CMC with SBR for graphite. It stores no charge, so cell designers use as little as the electrode needs.",
      "related": [
        "active-material",
        "conductive-additive",
        "slurry",
        "pvdf",
        "nmp",
        "paa"
      ],
      "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite",
      "example": {
        "title": "Balance coating functions",
        "text": "Increasing binder fraction at fixed coating mass leaves less mass for active material and conductive additive. Adhesion and capacity are separate design considerations."
      },
      "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/binder/",
      "mentions": [
        "electrode",
        "graphite",
        "cmc",
        "sbr"
      ]
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      "id": "edge:419",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:active-material",
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      "id": "edge:422",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:pvdf",
      "type": "relatedTo",
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        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:423",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:nmp",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
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      "id": "edge:424",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:paa",
      "type": "relatedTo",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "meaning": "Related context; not a causal claim"
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      "id": "edge:mentions/binder/electrode",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:electrode",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
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    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/binder/graphite",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:graphite",
      "type": "mentions",
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        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
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      "id": "edge:mentions/binder/cmc",
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      "target": "term:cmc",
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        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
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    },
    {
      "id": "edge:mentions/binder/sbr",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "term:sbr",
      "type": "mentions",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "method": "build_glossary.mention_index + mentions",
        "field": "definition",
        "meaning": "Text mention; not a causal claim"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:429",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "lesson:fundamentals/cell-architecture/",
      "type": "explainedIn",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "terms.json",
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "edge:430",
      "source": "term:binder",
      "target": "reference:liu-manufacturing",
      "type": "cites",
      "properties": {
        "sourceFile": "wiki-references.json",
        "scope": "direct technical reference"
      }
    }
  ],
  "neighbors": [
    {
      "id": "topic:topic-components",
      "type": "Topic",
      "label": "Cell components and electrode materials",
      "properties": {
        "id": "topic-components",
        "name": "Cell components and electrode materials",
        "lede": "What a cell is physically made of — active materials, binders, additives, foils and tabs — and how its electrodes are put together.",
        "context": "Connect each material with its function.",
        "example": "Electrons travel through additive, foil and tab; ions use electrolyte and separator pathways.",
        "lesson_url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-anatomy/",
        "lesson_label": "Open cell anatomy"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:active-material",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Active material",
      "properties": {
        "id": "active-material",
        "name": "Active material",
        "abbr": "AM",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "The part of an electrode that actually stores lithium — graphite on the negative side, an oxide or phosphate on the positive. It makes up most of the electrode coating; the rest is binder and conductive additive.",
        "related": [
          "cathode-active-material",
          "anode-active-material",
          "binder",
          "conductive-additive",
          "specific-capacity"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite",
        "example": {
          "title": "Choose a mass basis",
          "text": "A 100 g coating containing 95 g active material has different specific-capacity numbers when normalized to active mass versus total coating mass."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/active-material/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "graphite",
          "coating"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:conductive-additive",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Conductive additive",
      "properties": {
        "id": "conductive-additive",
        "name": "Conductive additive",
        "aka": [
          "carbon black",
          "conductive carbon"
        ],
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "Fine carbon, such as carbon black or carbon nanotubes, added in small amounts to an electrode so that electrons can reach every active particle. Many active materials conduct electrons poorly on their own.",
        "related": [
          "active-material",
          "binder",
          "electronic-conductivity",
          "slurry"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-architecture/#composite",
        "example": {
          "title": "Distribution matters",
          "text": "Two coatings with the same additive mass can have different electronic connectivity if the additive is distributed differently."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/conductive-additive/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "carbon-nanotube"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:slurry",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Slurry",
      "properties": {
        "id": "slurry",
        "name": "Slurry",
        "section": "topic-manufacturing",
        "definition": "The mixture of active material, conductive carbon, binder and solvent that is coated onto a current-collector foil to make an electrode. Positive slurries use NMP as solvent; graphite slurries are water-based.",
        "related": [
          "mixing",
          "coating",
          "nmp",
          "binder",
          "solids-content"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-production/#electrodes",
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/slurry/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "active-material",
          "graphite",
          "conductive-additive"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:pvdf",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "PVDF",
      "properties": {
        "id": "pvdf",
        "name": "PVDF",
        "aka": [
          "polyvinylidene fluoride"
        ],
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "The fluoropolymer binder used in most positive electrodes. It dissolves only in solvents such as NMP, which is why positive-electrode slurries are solvent-based and need solvent recovery in the plant.",
        "related": [
          "binder",
          "nmp",
          "coating",
          "dry-electrode"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/pvdf/",
        "mentions": [
          "solvent-recovery"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:nmp",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "NMP",
      "properties": {
        "id": "nmp",
        "name": "NMP",
        "aka": [
          "N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone"
        ],
        "section": "topic-manufacturing",
        "definition": "The solvent that dissolves PVDF binder for positive-electrode slurries. It is toxic and regulated, so plants recover and distil nearly all of it; eliminating it is a main motivation for dry electrode processes.",
        "related": [
          "pvdf",
          "slurry",
          "solvent-recovery",
          "dry-electrode"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/nmp/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrode",
          "binder"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:paa",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Polyacrylic acid",
      "properties": {
        "id": "paa",
        "name": "Polyacrylic acid",
        "abbr": "PAA",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "A water-based binder with many carboxyl groups that bond strongly to silicon surfaces, used in silicon-rich negative electrodes where CMC/SBR cannot hold the swelling particles together.",
        "related": [
          "binder",
          "silicon-anode",
          "cmc"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/paa/",
        "mentions": [
          "swelling",
          "sbr"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:electrode",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Electrode",
      "properties": {
        "id": "electrode",
        "name": "Electrode",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "A solid conductor where the cell’s reaction happens, in contact with the electrolyte. A lithium-ion cell has a negative electrode and a positive electrode, each a porous coating on a metal foil.",
        "related": [
          "negative-electrode",
          "positive-electrode",
          "porous-electrode",
          "current-collector"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components",
        "example": {
          "title": "Two transport paths",
          "text": "Electrons need connected solid paths to the collector; ions need electrolyte paths to reaction sites. More of one constituent displaces others at fixed volume."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/electrode/",
        "mentions": [
          "electrolyte",
          "coating"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:graphite",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Graphite",
      "properties": {
        "id": "graphite",
        "name": "Graphite",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "Layered carbon, the negative active material of nearly all lithium-ion cells. Lithium intercalates between its layers up to LiC₆, a theoretical 372 mAh/g, at a potential about 0.1 V above lithium metal.",
        "related": [
          "anode-active-material",
          "intercalation",
          "natural-graphite",
          "synthetic-graphite",
          "lithium-plating"
        ],
        "lesson": "fundamentals/cell-anatomy/#components",
        "example": {
          "title": "Compare matching mass bases",
          "text": "A graphite value per gram of active material cannot be directly compared with a value including binder, additive and foil."
        },
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/graphite/",
        "mentions": [
          "milliampere-hour",
          "active-material"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:cmc",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Carboxymethyl cellulose",
      "properties": {
        "id": "cmc",
        "name": "Carboxymethyl cellulose",
        "abbr": "CMC",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "A water-soluble cellulose derivative used with SBR as the binder system for graphite electrodes. It thickens the aqueous slurry and disperses the particles; SBR supplies the elasticity.",
        "related": [
          "binder",
          "sbr",
          "slurry",
          "pvdf"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/cmc/",
        "mentions": [
          "graphite"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "term:sbr",
      "type": "Term",
      "label": "Styrene–butadiene rubber",
      "properties": {
        "id": "sbr",
        "name": "Styrene–butadiene rubber",
        "abbr": "SBR",
        "section": "topic-components",
        "definition": "A rubber latex that gives graphite coatings their flexibility and adhesion to copper, used at about 1–2 % together with CMC. The pair lets negative electrodes be made with water instead of NMP.",
        "related": [
          "cmc",
          "binder",
          "pvdf",
          "nmp"
        ],
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/glossary/sbr/",
        "mentions": [
          "graphite"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "lesson:fundamentals/cell-architecture/",
      "type": "Lesson",
      "label": "Lesson 1B · Cell architecture",
      "properties": {
        "url": "https://lemonergy.com/learn/fundamentals/cell-architecture/"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reference:liu-manufacturing",
      "type": "Reference",
      "label": "Current and future lithium-ion battery manufacturing",
      "properties": {
        "title": "Current and future lithium-ion battery manufacturing",
        "publisher": "iScience",
        "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102332",
        "type": "Review article",
        "scope": "Electrode preparation, cell assembly, formation and manufacturing trade-offs.",
        "year": 2021,
        "authors": [
          "Yangtao Liu",
          "Ruihan Zhang",
          "Jun Wang",
          "Yan Wang"
        ],
        "accessed": "2026-10-27"
      }
    }
  ]
}