A 3D Electrochemical Model for the Si/C Composite Active Particles

Sunday, 9 October 2022: 08:40
Galleria 1 (The Hilton Atlanta)
X. Gao and J. Xu (UNC Charlotte)
SiO/Graphite (Gr) composite has attracted more and more interests in both the academic and industrial communities regarded as one of the most promising anode materials for the next generation of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This material achieves high capacity meanwhile maintaining a relatively good mechanical integrity compared to the pure Si anode. However, the heterogeneous composition of such an anode system brings in highly nonlinear and complex electrochemical behaviors compared to the single-material anode. The computational modeling provides an efficient and accurate way to explore the electrochemical behaviors of SiO/Gr composite anode. Herein, we propose a 3D model at the electrode level containing particle geometries based on a representative volume element (RVE) and study the electrochemical process of the half-cell charging. The effects of SiO proportion, charging rate, SiO distribution, and SiO particle size on the electrochemical performance are discussed. The addition of SiO in Gr anode leads to the ultra-high real-time C-rate (CR) compared to the applied one within a specific time range, which is harmful to the active particles, especially under high C-rates. The results reveal that anode with higher SiO proportions performs a better rate capability. We also discover that moving SiO particles towards the separator and shrinking the SiO particle can benefit cell performance. Results provide an in-depth understanding of the electrochemical behaviors of the composite anode and guide the design for SiO/Gr anode materials in maximizing the theoretical capacity while maintaining better rate performance.