Characteristics of Fe2O3- coated LiCoO2 and LiCoO2 materials in radiation environments

Abstract

Emergency power systems in nuclear power plants are necessary for supplying power for safe operation during emergencies. Lithium-ion batteries can be used in power systems, but they have issues with material degradation under irradiation. To solve these problems, the development of an electrode with high stability under irradiation is needed. The electrochemical stability of Fe2O3-coated LiCoO2 (LCO) under irradiation was investigated. Fe2O3 is known to have a radiation shielding effect. The X-ray diffraction results for irradiated Fe2O3/LCO materials exhibited peaks of pristine LCO. In addition, Fe2O3 particles were observed to be well dispersed on LCO by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Electrochemical measurements revealed that the retention ratio of the discharge capacity for Fe2O3-coated/LCO was more stable than the capacity retention of non-coated LCO under irradiation.