It is commonly accepted that Li-ion battery life
is limited by the process of degradation of electrode
materials with repeated charging and discharging. During
battery operation, lithium ions are shuttled between
cathode and anode when the battery is being charged and
discharged. One of the degradation mechanisms is related
to the development of internal stresses in electrode
particles due to repeated lithium insertion and removal.
The stresses ultimately result in cracks in and fracture of
particles. The current project targets the fundamental
understanding through controlled experimental work of
internal stress generation in and morphology change of
electrode particles in Li-ion batteries.