Thermal Stability and Degradation of Batteries

Li-ion batteries often run the risk of explosion via thermal runaway caused by internal short circuits. Such internal short circuits can be caused by mechanical, electrical or thermal means. Another cause of concern is the ageing of the battery that can limit its capacity, performance, lifespan and safety. In this work, we wish to investigate the thermal stability and degradation of batteries using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), battery analyzer and computer simulations. Specifically, the goal is study two aspects of commercial Li-ion coin cell batteries: (a) kinetics and mechanisms of thermal runaway mechanisms in coin-cell batteries, (b) degradation of battery components across various cycling rates and temperatures.