Lithium-ion Battery Materials and Engineering

Abstract

Modern lithium-ion cells are subject to a wide range of performance requirements, driven by the needs of their end users. Since lithium-ion cells are being used to power devices ranging from household electronics, through power tools to automobiles and the application types vary from commercial to military power sources, there is no universal user profile. The cells are usually classified either as “high energy” or “high power,” although the intermediate variants exist. For each distinct cell design option, appropriate selection of cell materials that are “best for the application” is made and, from this point, systematic process of optimization of materials’ performance in a cell begins. From the functional standpoint, lithium-ion electrode materials are divided into “active materials” that are capable of reversibly intercalating lithium ions into their structure, “conductive diluents” that assist in electron conduction within the electrode, current collecting foils, as well as binders that assure adhesion to current collectors and cohesion within the electrode. Electrolyte solutions and porous separators are other cell materials that must be properly selected to match the cell design.