Understanding the dilation and dilation relaxation behavior of graphite-based lithium-ion cells

• At high rates, dilation is affected by formation of more than two graphite staging compounds.
• There can be either positive or negative dilation relaxation after current pulses.
• A model explaining staging-related relaxation phenomena is presented.
• Staging relaxation and lithium plating are detectable in dilation data.
• A compensation procedure for thermal expansion in dilation data is presented.

The dilation of lithium-ion cells is sensitive towards swelling phenomena caused by both graphite staging processes and lithium plating on graphite anodes. In this work, the dilation behavior of graphite/NMC pouch cells is studied with a focus on relaxation phenomena occurring after current pulses. In order to prevent misleading interpretations due to thermal effects, thermal expansion is quantified and a method for the thermal compensation of dilation data is developed. Dilation data are recorded for quasi-equilibrium cycling as well as for current pulses at high rates. In the quasi-equilibrium case, the staging behavior is characterized based on dilation and voltage data. By comparison with a graphite half-cell measurement, the major effects in full cell dilation are confirmed to be anode related. In the high rate case, the dilation responses to the actual pulse and the subsequent relaxation phases are recorded systematically. Positive and negative relaxation phenomena are observed depending on the SOC. They are ascribed to both graphite staging and lithium plating processes. A model is presented explaining the unexpected relaxation effects by a temporary coexistence of three or more staging compounds during high rate lithiation and delithiation. Our data thereby confirm the shrinking annuli model introduced by Heβ and Novák.

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