Dry‑electrode processes that use PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) as a core or key binder component have become a major research hotspot and are moving from the laboratory to early production. The overarching goal is to manufacture high‑performance electrodes without toxic solvents such as NMP (N‑methyl‑2‑pyrrolidone).
At present, several "new" process routes and technical solutions have emerged, which can be categorised as follows.
Mainstream Route 1: Tesla's "Composite Binder" System (PTFE + PVDF)
This is currently the most widely watched and most advanced route, disclosed in a Tesla patent published in May 2026.
Core concept: Use a composite binder system consisting of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PVDF.
Key process: The composite binder is mixed with active materials and conductive additives, and then subjected to high‑shear air milling. This treatment causes the binder to form a unique "micro‑spider‑web" structure, which anchors the active particles firmly in a three‑dimensional network – without any solvent.
Significant advantages:
Substantial cost and efficiency gains: The raw‑material calendering steps are reduced from ten to just three, increasing production throughput threefold. By eliminating drying and solvent‑recovery stages, the plant footprint shrinks by 50%, capital expenditure drops by over 40%, and electrode manufacturing cost is nearly halved.
Good performance: Cells made with this process retain about 90% of their initial capacity after 2,000 charge‑discharge cycles.
Low binder content: By using large‑diameter active particles, the total binder proportion can be kept below 2%, ensuring good lithium‑ion conductivity.
Production status: Tesla has already put full‑dry‑electrode (both anode and cathode) 4680 cells into production at its Giga Texas plant, and they are being used in some Model Y vehicles.
Cutting‑Edge Route 2: Extrusion‑Based Dry Process (RED)
This novel method was proposed in academic research, with a paper published in April 2026.
Core concept: Mix PVDF, conductive carbon black (CB), and active material (AM) to form a new type of filament feedstock.
Key process: The filament is extruded through a specially designed deposition head, followed by powder spreading and hot calendering, eventually yielding a dense electrode.
Significant advantages:
Enables ultra‑high areal loading: The process achieves an active‑material areal loading as high as 47.9 mg/cm², with a smoother electrode surface and fewer cracks.
Excellent performance: Compared with conventional wet‑processed electrodes, RED‑processed electrodes exhibit lower impedance and less polarisation, while delivering comparable efficiency and capacity.
Innovative Route 3: Arkema's "PVDF‑Scaffold" Structural Binder
Materials company Arkema has developed a new type of PVDF binder.
Core concept: This binder acts as a "structural scaffold" that firmly holds the electrode particles together.
Key process: It is suitable for roll‑to‑roll manufacturing of high‑quality anodes and cathodes.
Significant advantages:
Eliminates drying and recovery: The process does not require large drying lines or NMP recovery systems, greatly reducing the carbon footprint as well as capital and operating costs.
Enables high areal loadings: With this binder, LFP (lithium iron phosphate) electrodes with areal loadings as high as 50 mg/cm² can be produced – a level that is difficult to achieve with conventional wet processes.
Addresses industry pain points: This technology is designed to solve two common problems in existing dry‑electrode processes: processing difficulties and low first‑cycle efficiency.
Other Potential Directions: Fibrillation of PVDF
Traditional dry‑electrode processes rely heavily on the fibrillation of PTFE. However, recent patents show that with a specific dry‑powder formulation, PVDF can also be made to fibrillate significantly, allowing it to serve as an effective structural binder in dry processes.
⚖️ Challenges and Outlook
Despite its great promise, PVDF‑based dry‑electrode processes still face several challenges:
Processing difficulty: Dry powders – especially cathode materials – are brittle and hard, making it challenging to form a uniform film at high speed without solvents.
Process maturity: Apart from Tesla, most technologies are still at the R&D or pilot stage, and there is still a gap before large‑scale mass production.
Material cost vs. performance: PVDF itself is not inexpensive, and balancing performance improvements with cost control is a key consideration for industrialisation.
Overall, PVDF in the dry‑electrode field is transitioning from its traditional role as a "wet‑process binder" to a "dry‑process structural material". In particular, Tesla's PTFE+PVDF composite binder system has already demonstrated feasibility at the production level, paving a new path for cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and greener manufacturing of power batteries.