Laboratory X-ray Microscopy Study of Microcrack Evolution in a Novel Sodium Iron Titanate-Based Cathode Material for Li-Ion Batteries

The long-term performance of batteries depends strongly on the 3D morphology of electrode materials. Morphological changes, i.e., particle fracture and surface deterioration, are among the most prominent sources of electrode degradation. A profound understanding of the fracture mechanics of electrod...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Crystals (Basel) 2022-01, Vol.12 (1), p.3
Main Authors: Shapovalov, Viktor, Kutukova, Kristina, Maletti, Sebastian, Heubner, Christian, Butova, Vera, Shukaev, Igor, Guda, Alexander, Soldatov, Alexander, Zschech, Ehrenfried
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3D imaging
battery
Carbon
cathode material
Cathodes
Computed tomography
Degradation
Electrode materials
Electrodes
Electrolytes
Fracture mechanics
Iron
Laboratories
Lithium-ion batteries
Microcracks
Microscopy
Morphology
operando study
Rechargeable batteries
Sodium
Stainless steel
Three dimensional imaging
Tomography
X ray microscopy
X-ray computed tomography
X-rays
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The long-term performance of batteries depends strongly on the 3D morphology of electrode materials. Morphological changes, i.e., particle fracture and surface deterioration, are among the most prominent sources of electrode degradation. A profound understanding of the fracture mechanics of electrode materials in micro- and nanoscale dimensions requires the use of advanced in situ and operando techniques. In this paper, we demonstrate the capabilities of laboratory X-ray microscopy and nano X-ray computed tomography (nano-XCT) for the non-destructive study of the electrode material’s 3D morphology and defects, such as microcracks, at sub-micron resolution. We investigate the morphology of Na0.9Fe0.45Ti1.55O4 sodium iron titanate (NFTO) cathode material in Li-ion batteries using laboratory-based in situ and operando X-ray microscopy. The impact of the morphology on the degradation of battery materials, particularly the size- and density-dependence of the fracture behavior of the particles, is revealed based on a semi-quantitative analysis of the formation and propagation of microcracks in particles. Finally, we discuss design concepts of the operando cells for the study of electrochemical processes.
ISSN:2073-4352
2073-4352
DOI:10.3390/cryst12010003