Li Polymer Battery Pack

The cathode is the positive or oxidizing electrode that acquires electrons from the external circuit and is reduced during the electrochemical reaction. In the case of lithium batteries, cathode materials are generally constructed from LiCoO2 or LiMn2O4. For the cathode, it is important to hold a large amount of lithium without significant change in structure, have good chemical and electrochemical stability with electrolyte, be a good electrical conductor and diffuser of lithium ions, and be of low cost.

The anode is the negative or reducing electrode that releases electrons to the external circuit and oxidizes during an electrochemical reaction. One of the most common anode materials used today is lithiated graphite, LixC6, which is composed of graphite sheets intercalated with lithium. New materials, such as those based on Silicon and other elemental blends, are being researched. Lithiated graphite has a unit cell with an HCP structure.

A separator is a permeable membrane placed between a battery’s anode and cathode. The main function of a separator is to keep the two electrodes apart to prevent electrical short circuits while also allowing the transport of ionic charge carriers that are needed to close the circuit during the passage of current in an electrochemical cell. Commercially available liquid electrolyte cells use microporous polyolefin materials, such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). Separators in Li-ions have to be electrochemically and chemically stable relative to the electrolyte and electrode materials. Functional separators that use MOF-coated membranes to perform the dual functions of the electrolyte and separator are being developed to support the design of high-performance Li-metal batteries for high-energy systems in electric vehicles and electric aircraft.

The choice of electrolyte in all batteries is critical for performance as well as safety. Most of the electrolytes used in commercial lithium-ion batteries are non-aqueous solutions, in which lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) salt dissolved in organic carbonates, in particular, mixtures of ethylene carbonate (EC) with dimethyl carbonate (DMC), propylene carbonate (PC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and/or ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC). A good electrolyte must have low reactivity with other cell components, high ionic conductivity, low toxicity, a large window of electrochemical voltage stability (0-5V), and be thermally stable.