{"title":"Study on the intergranular cracks evolution and mechanisms in PC-NCM811 particles through long-term real-time observation","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2024.114033","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nickel-rich polycrystalline LiNi<sub>x</sub>Co<sub>y</sub>Mn<sub>1-x-y</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (PC-NCM, 0.8 ≤ x < 1) particles suffer capacity degradation due to intergranular cracks, which catalyze side reactions at fresh interfaces, diminishing battery performance. Understanding the mechanisms behind crack evolution is essential for mitigating these issues. Real-time crack observation is crucial for this understanding, yet long-term monitoring remains unachieved. This study develops a versatile method using an optical in-situ reaction cell, modified from a coin cell structure, to enable long-term, real-time tracking of volume changes, crack evolution and lithium-ion diffusion in the particle. This method has provided new insights into the evolution of intergranular cracks and mechanisms in PC-NCM811 particles. Intergranular cracks can be categorized into main cracks, microcracks and cracks at the boundaries of inactive domains based on the stress origin. Main cracks stem from strain mismatches caused by asynchronous domains during initial activation, while their subsequent propagation is driven by alternating stresses from cycling. The initiation of microcracks is caused by stress concentration at grain boundaries due to abrupt volume contraction during charging process. Volume changes along the <em>a</em>-axis exacerbate the irreversible propagation of these microcracks at a high state of charge. Optical imaging shows regions with limited lithium-ion diffusion align with boundary cracks caused by uneven lithium-ion concentrations at high C-rate. These findings emphasize the value of long-term, real-time observation for understanding electrochemical-mechanical interactions. The observation and analysis method can be applied to investigate and evaluate the crack evolution of various materials under different conditions, facilitating the optimization of material design and the formulation of effective cycling protocols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of energy storage","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352152X24036193","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Nickel-rich polycrystalline LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2 (PC-NCM, 0.8 ≤ x < 1) particles suffer capacity degradation due to intergranular cracks, which catalyze side reactions at fresh interfaces, diminishing battery performance. Understanding the mechanisms behind crack evolution is essential for mitigating these issues. Real-time crack observation is crucial for this understanding, yet long-term monitoring remains unachieved. This study develops a versatile method using an optical in-situ reaction cell, modified from a coin cell structure, to enable long-term, real-time tracking of volume changes, crack evolution and lithium-ion diffusion in the particle. This method has provided new insights into the evolution of intergranular cracks and mechanisms in PC-NCM811 particles. Intergranular cracks can be categorized into main cracks, microcracks and cracks at the boundaries of inactive domains based on the stress origin. Main cracks stem from strain mismatches caused by asynchronous domains during initial activation, while their subsequent propagation is driven by alternating stresses from cycling. The initiation of microcracks is caused by stress concentration at grain boundaries due to abrupt volume contraction during charging process. Volume changes along the a-axis exacerbate the irreversible propagation of these microcracks at a high state of charge. Optical imaging shows regions with limited lithium-ion diffusion align with boundary cracks caused by uneven lithium-ion concentrations at high C-rate. These findings emphasize the value of long-term, real-time observation for understanding electrochemical-mechanical interactions. The observation and analysis method can be applied to investigate and evaluate the crack evolution of various materials under different conditions, facilitating the optimization of material design and the formulation of effective cycling protocols.
富镍多晶 LiNixCoyMn1-x-yO2(PC-NCM,0.8 ≤ x <1)颗粒由于晶间裂纹而导致容量下降,这种裂纹会催化新鲜界面的副反应,从而降低电池性能。了解裂纹演变背后的机制对于缓解这些问题至关重要。实时裂纹观测对于理解裂纹至关重要,但长期监测仍未实现。本研究开发了一种多功能方法,使用一种从纽扣电池结构改进而来的光学原位反应电池,对颗粒中的体积变化、裂纹演变和锂离子扩散进行长期、实时跟踪。这种方法为了解 PC-NCM811 颗粒中晶间裂纹的演变和机制提供了新的视角。根据应力来源,晶间裂纹可分为主裂纹、微裂纹和非活动域边界裂纹。主裂纹源于初始活化过程中不同步畴引起的应变不匹配,而随后的扩展则是由循环产生的交变应力驱动的。微裂纹的产生是由于充填过程中体积突然收缩导致晶界应力集中造成的。沿 a 轴的体积变化加剧了这些微裂纹在高电荷状态下的不可逆传播。光学成像显示,锂离子扩散受限的区域与高 C 率下锂离子浓度不均造成的边界裂纹相一致。这些发现强调了长期、实时观测对于理解电化学-机械相互作用的价值。这种观察和分析方法可用于研究和评估各种材料在不同条件下的裂纹演变,有助于优化材料设计和制定有效的循环方案。
期刊介绍:
Journal of energy storage focusses on all aspects of energy storage, in particular systems integration, electric grid integration, modelling and analysis, novel energy storage technologies, sizing and management strategies, business models for operation of storage systems and energy storage developments worldwide.