Issue 36, 2017

Modeling of internal mechanical failure of all-solid-state batteries during electrochemical cycling, and implications for battery design

Abstract

This is the first quantitative analysis of mechanical reliability of all-solid state batteries. Mechanical degradation of the solid electrolyte (SE) is caused by intercalation-induced expansion of the electrode particles, within the constrains of a dense microstructure. A coupled electro-chemo-mechanical model was implemented to quantify the material properties that cause an SE to fracture. The treatment of microstructural details is essential to the understanding of stress-localization phenomena and fracture. A cohesive zone model is employed to simulate the evolution of damage. In the numerical tests, fracture is prevented when electrode-particle's expansion is lower than 7.5% (typical for most Li-intercalating compounds) and the solid-electrolyte's fracture energy higher than Gc = 4 J m−2. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the analyses show that compliant solid electrolytes (with Young's modulus in the order of ESE = 15 GPa) are more prone to micro-cracking. This result, captured by our non-linear kinematics model, contradicts the speculation that sulfide SEs are more suitable for the design of bulk-type batteries than oxide SEs. Mechanical degradation is linked to the battery power-density. Fracture in solid Li-ion conductors represents a barrier for Li transport, and accelerates the decay of rate performance.

Graphical abstract: Modeling of internal mechanical failure of all-solid-state batteries during electrochemical cycling, and implications for battery design

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Apr 2017
Accepted
18 Aug 2017
First published
23 Aug 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 19422-19430

Modeling of internal mechanical failure of all-solid-state batteries during electrochemical cycling, and implications for battery design

G. Bucci, T. Swamy, Y. Chiang and W. C. Carter, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 19422 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA03199H

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