High-Temperature Electrochemical Performance of Lithium Titanate (Li4Ti5O12) Anode Material in Secondary Lithium-ion Batteries

Abstract

Lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12, LTO) anodes are preferred in lithium-ion batteries where durability and temperature variation are primary concerns. Previous studies show that LTO anodes perform well, in terms of cyclability and rate capability, at ambient and low temperatures. This work reports the effect of extreme temperature conditions on the electrical and electrochemical properties of LTO anodes. The capacity and C-rate performance of the LTO anode is observed to improve from ambient temperature up to 70 °C. Increasing the temperature above 80 °C has a detrimental effect on performance, and it ultimately fails at 130 °C. As the rate capability and discharge capacities of the LTO anode increase with temperature up to 70 °C, the increase in temperature up to a certain level can facilitate faster charging of lithium-ion cells.