A Study of the Mechanical Degradation Process of Silicon Electrode in the Lithium Ion Battery Cycling Operation

Huge volume change during the intercalation and de-intercalation process is a critical issue limiting the application of silicon material in current lithium ion batteries. In this study, a comprehensive multi-physics model is developed to investigate the stress/strain variation of silicon electrode prepared via metal-assisted chemical etching method in the battery charge-discharge operation. A corresponding experiment is carried out as the physical base. The modeling results are firstly compared with the first principle models and the experimental data. Then, extensive simulations are performed to elucidate the cycling induced local stress/strain variations and the complicated interaction mechanisms under different operation conditions. Besides, modeling study is also conducted to investigate the effect of etching process on the silicon electrode in the cycling.