Abstract
The conductivity of an electrolyte plays a significant role in deciding the performance of any battery over a wide temperature range from −40°C to 60°C. In this work, the conductivity of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) at a varied salt concentration range from 0.2 M to 2.0 M in a multisolvent organic electrolyte system over a wide temperature range from −40°C to 60°C is reported. The mixed solvents used were 1,3-dioxolane (DOL), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) with an equal ratio of DOL : DME : TEGDME (1 : 1 : 1 by volume). The experimental analysis performed over a wide temperature range revealed the maximum conductivity at salt concentrations ranging from 1.0 M to 1.4 M for equal molar solvents. The optimum salt concentration and maximum conductivity in a different solvent composition ratio (i.e., 3 : 2 : 1) for all the temperatures is reported herein. The temperature-dependence conductivity of the salt concentration did not fit the Arrhenius plot, but it resembled the Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher plot behavior. The present conductivity study was carried out to evaluate the overall operable temperature limit of the electrolyte used in the lithium-sulfur battery.
Highlights
Lithium-sulfur batteries have become an attractive option for new-generation high-performance batteries due to their high theoretical capacity (1,675 mAh/g) and specific energy (2,600 Wh/kg) [1,2,3,4,5,6], which is up to three times higher than that of the commercially viable Li ion batteries
The conductivity of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [9] in DOL [10]: DME : tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) (1 : 1 : 1 by volume) mixture was investigated as a function of increasing concentrations of salt (LiTFSI) over a wide temperature range
We focused on the development of an optimized salt composition in electrolytes for lithiumsulfur batteries to meet a wide temperature range from − 40°C to 60°C. e conductivity behavior at a wide temperature range for various salt concentrations is reported in order to find the maximum conductivity
Summary
Lithium-sulfur batteries have become an attractive option for new-generation high-performance batteries due to their high theoretical capacity (1,675 mAh/g) and specific energy (2,600 Wh/kg) [1,2,3,4,5,6], which is up to three times higher than that of the commercially viable Li ion batteries. Rapid capacity attenuation [7] with poor cycle [8] and rate performance make the batteries far from ideal for realcommercial applications. E typical operation of lithium-sulfur batteries for telemetry applications requires temperatures from − 40°C to 60°C. e conductivity is one of the important factors to consider for the formulation of an electrolyte. Formulation of electrolytes with a multisolvent system provides higher conductivity in a broader temperature range compared to that with a single electrolyte system. E electrolyte has been the primary element for the poor performances of a battery at low temperatures. Us far, the addition of lower melting cosolvents has been the most favorable approach adopted by researchers to develop an electrolyte for subambient applications. As a pioneering attempt to develop a low-temperature electrolyte for lithium-ion chemistry, Ein-Eli et al used methyl formate (MF, International Journal of Electrochemistry mp − 99°C) and reported that the ion conductivity of 1 M LiMe in an MF/EC (3 : 1) mixture at − 40°C was 5.4 mScm− 1
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