The effect of gelatinization and retrogradation of the popular binder, guar gum, on the dispersion of electrode constituents and the cell performance of the lithium-sulfur battery is studied. When guar gum is added in a gelatinized state, the fabricated electrode slurry adopts a gel-like structure, leading to the poor dispersion of constituents and poor electrochemistry of constructed cells. With the addition of retrograded guar gum, the prepared slurry is not gelled, and the dispersion of constituents and the cell performance are both greatly improved. (C) 2018 The Electrochemical Society.