Collaborative Research: Fracture Toughness of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes: An Integrative Experimental and Computational Study

该奖项的研究目标是使用一种综合的实验和计算方法来研究锂离子电池(LIB)电极材料的断裂韧性和潜在的断裂机理。这项研究将开发和实施一种现场实验装置，以测量在良好控制的机械和电化学条件下锂离子电极的本构行为和外部断裂特性。将使用数值场投影方案从实验远场信息中提取裂纹尖端过程区的本征内聚性。力学和电化学过程对电极断裂特性的耦合作用将通过细观力学失效模型来解释，该模型结合了测量的本构关系和本征内聚力参数。如果成功，上述研究将极大地促进目前对LIBS中电极材料断裂的有限理解。这一研究结果将为提高循环寿命的超大容量电极材料的微观结构优化提供基本的设计准则。紧密结合的实验和计算研究将使参与的学生接触到一个新的断裂力学领域，该领域位于电化学、物理、材料科学和力学的交叉点。研究成果将通过开放获取的网络资源迅速传播，并将纳入本科生和研究生水平的课程。通过多媒体工具的现场演示，私人投资促进计划将积极教育小学生掌握最新的能源储存技术，激励他们投身科学和工程领域。

The research objective of this award is to use an integrative experimental and computational approach to investigate the fracture toughness and the underlying fracture mechanisms of electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The proposed research will develop and implement an in-situ experimental setup to measure the constitutive behavior and extrinsic fracture properties of lithiated electrodes under well-controlled mechanical and electrochemical conditions. A numerical field-projection scheme will be used to extract the intrinsic cohesive properties at the crack-tip process zone from experimental far-field information. The coupled effects of mechanical and electrochemical processes on the electrode fracture characteristics will be elucidated by a micromechanics failure model, which incorporates the measured constitutive law and intrinsic cohesive parameters.If successful, the above studies will significantly advance the currently limited understanding of electrode material fracture in LIBs. Findings from this research will provide fundamental design criteria for microstructural optimization of ultra-high-capacity electrode materials with improved cycle life. The tightly integrated experimental and computational studies will expose participating students to a new field of fracture mechanics, which lies at the intersection of electrochemistry, physics, materials science and mechanics. Research results will be rapidly disseminated via open-access web-based resources, and will be integrated into undergraduate and graduate level courses. Through live demonstrations enhanced with multimedia tools, the PIs will actively educate elementary school students in the latest energy storage technologies to inspire them towards careers in science and engineering.