Capacity fading of LiAlyNi1−x−yCoxO2 cathode for lithium-ion batteries during accelerated calendar and cycle life tests (effect of depth of discharge in charge–discharge cycling on the suppression of the micro-crack generation of LiAlyNi1−x−yCoxO2 particl

•We investigate the degradation of Li-ion cell during cycle with ΔDOD restriction.•Many micro cracks were observed only after a 0–100% DOD region cycle test.•The deterioration was not closely related to the upper and lower limits of DOD.

Cycle performance of a LiAl0.10Ni0.76Co0.14O2 (NCA) cathode/graphite cell closely depended on the range of depth of discharge in charge–discharge processes (ΔDOD). When ΔDOD was 10–70%, cycle performance at 25 °C was maintained even at 60 °C. Deterioration phenomena were analyzed by electrochemical method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and micro-cracks in NCA particles were analyzed with cross-sectional views by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Many micro-cracks were observed only after a 0–100% DOD region cycle test. Cycle tests in several restricted ΔDOD conditions showed that the deterioration was closely related to not the upper and lower limits of DOD or operation voltage but the width of ΔDOD.