Effect of Temperature on the Deterioration of Graphite-Based Negative Electrodes during the Prolonged Cycling of Li-ion Batteries

Abstract

In this paper, we report the effects of temperature on the deterioration of graphite-based negative electrodes during the long-term cycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). After cycling 75 Ah pouch-type LIB full cells at temperatures of 45°C (45-Cell) and 25°C (25-Cell) until their end of life, we expected to observe changes in the negative electrode according to the temperature. The thickness of the negative electrode of the cell was greater after cycling; that of the electrode of 45-Cell (144 μm) was greater than that of the electrode of 25-Cell (109 μm). Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed that by-products caused this increase in the thickness of the negative electrode. The by-products that formed on the surface of the negative electrode during cycling increased the surface resistance and decreased the electrical conductivity. Voltage profiles showed that the negative electrode of 25-Cell exhibited an 84.7% retention of the initial capacity, whereas that of 45-Cell showed only a 70.3% retention. The results of this study are expected to be relevant to future analyses of the deterioration characteristics of the negative electrode and battery deterioration mechanisms, and are also expected to provide basic data for advanced battery design.