Thermal stability of the Li (Ni 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05) O 2 cathode in the presence of cell components

I. Belharouak, D. Vissers, K. Amine

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81 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Li (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 cathode, a potential candidate for hybrid electric vehicle applications, has been electrochemically charged in powder form without a carbon additive and binder. The thermal stability of the resulting Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 powder was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction techniques under different gas flows. The transformation of Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 -layered material to the NiO -type structure material and/or to nickel metal was correlated to the oxidizing/reducing properties of the TGA gas flow under which the thermal decomposition of the Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 occurred. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements were performed on Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 powder in the presence of solvent, salt, or binder independently. The reactivity at 170°C between Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 and ethylene carbonate (EC) solvent was found to be dependent on the Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 oxide/EC weight ratio. The exothermic reaction observed in the presence of other solvents was not greatly affected, as long as the oxide/solvent weight ratios were kept very close to one another. The LiPF6 salt, when added to the charged oxide powder, was found to shift the exothermic reaction to 220°C when it was dissolved in the electrolyte and 270°C when it was added in the solid form. When polyvinylidene fluoride binder was added to Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 powder, the exothermic reaction occurred at high temperatures (340°C). The initiation of the exothermic reaction has been primarily attributed to the oxidation of the electrolyte by the oxygen gas released from Li0.53 (Ni0.8 Co0.15 Al0.05) O2 after the collapse of its layered structure.

Original languageEnglish
Article number012611JES
Pages (from-to)A2030-A2035
JournalJournal of the Electrochemical Society
Volume153
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
Externally publishedYes

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