Mechanical deformation in lithium-ion battery electrodes: modelling and experiment

Models that can accurately describe deformation and stress in lithium-ion batteries are required to inform new device designs that can better withstand mechanical fatigue. Developing such models is particularly challenging because (i) there is a need to capture several different materials including, active materials, binders, current collectors and separators, and (ii) the length scales of interest are highly disparate (ranging from a few microns, relevant to active material particles, up to centimeters, relevant to whole devices). In this study we present a continuum mechanical model that resolves individual active material particles of a nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide cathode, and predicts the mechanical response of the cathode coating as a whole. The model is validated by comparison with experimental tests which mimic industrial-scale electrode calendaring, and then a parametric study is conducted to provide insight into the roles of the material and geometric properties of the electrode's constituents on the cathode's overall behavior.