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Uncovering the secrets of lithium-ion battery degradation
- Date : 22-09-14
- Views : 765
- KIST identified lithium ion migration
pathways by using a self-designed one-stop battery analysis platform
- The mechanism of anode material
expansion/deterioration was confirmed… Proposing a new direction for material
design to ensure stability and high-efficiency
Amid global efforts towards carbon
neutrality, automakers all over the world are actively engaged in research and
development to convert internal combustion engine vehicles into electric
vehicles. Accordingly, competition to improve battery performance, which is at
the heart of electric vehicles, is intensifying. Since their commercialization
in 1991, lithium-ion batteries have held a dominant market share in most market
segments, from small home appliances to electric vehicles, thanks to continuous
improvement in energy density and efficiency. However, some phenomena occurring
within such batteries are still not well understood, such as the expansion and deterioration
of the anode material.
The Korea Institute of Science
and Technology (KIST, President Seok-Jin Yoon) announced that its team led by
Dr Jae-Pyoung Ahn (Research Resources Division) and Dr Hong-Kyu Kim (Advanced
Analysis and Data Center) has succeeded in the real-time observation of the
expansion and deterioration of the anode material within batteries due to the
movement of lithium ions.
The performance and lifespan
of lithium-ion batteries are generally known to be affected by various changes
that occur in the internal electrode materials during the charging and
discharging processes. However, it is, difficult to monitor such changes during
operation because major battery materials, such as electrodes and electrolytes,
are instantly contaminated when exposed to the air. Therefore, accurate observation
and analysis of structural changes in the electrode material during lithium ion
migration is the most important factor in improving performance and safety.
In a lithium-ion battery, the lithium ions
move to the anode during charging and move to the anode during
discharging. The KIST research team succeeded in real-time observation of a silicon–graphite
composite anode, which is being studied for its commercial use as a
high-capacity battery. Theoretically, the charging capacity of silicon is 10
times higher than that of graphite, a conventional anode material. However, the
volume of silicon nanopowders quadruples during the charging process, making it
difficult to ensure performance and safety. It has been hypothesized that the nanopores formed during the mixing
of the constituents of silicon–graphite composites can accommodate the volume
expansion of silicon during battery charging, thereby changing the battery
volume. However, the role of these nanopores has never been confirmed by direct
observation with electrochemical voltage curves.
Using a self-designed battery analysis
platform, The KIST research team directly observed the migration of lithium
ions into the silicon–graphite composite anode during charging, and identified the
practical role of the nanopores. It was found that lithium ions migrate sequentially
into the carbon, nanopores, and silicon in the silicon–graphite composite. Furthermore,
the research team noted that the nano-sized pores tend to store lithium ions
(fore-filling lithiation) before the lithium-silicon particles (Si lithiation),
while the micro-sized pores accommodate the volume expansion of silicon as
previously believed. Therefore, the research team suggests that a novel
approach that appropriately distributes micro- and nano-sized pores to alleviate
the volume expansion of silicon, thereby improving the safety of the material,
is necessary for the design of high-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion
batteries.
“Just as the James Webb Space Telescope
heralds a new era in space exploration, the KIST battery analysis platform opens
new horizons in material research by enabling the observation of structural
changes in electric batteries,” said Dr Jae-pyeong Ahn, head of KIST Research
Resources Division. "We plan to continue the additional research necessary
for driving innovations in battery material design, by observing structural changes
in battery materials that are not affected by atmospheric exposure." he
said.
This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jong-Ho Lee) as part of the Nano Material Source Technology Development Project of the Korea National Research Foundation (NRF), and the Creative Convergence Research Project of the Korea National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST). The research results were published in the latest issue of the ‘ACS Energy Letters (IF: 23.991, top 3.21% of JCR), an international academic journal in the field of batteries.
[Figure 1] Schematic diagram of KIST Battery Analysis Platform
[Figure 2] Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images of lithium migration