Mitigating thermal runaway hazard of high-energy lithium-ion batteries by poison agent

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries with high-energy density are extensively commercialized in long-range electric vehicles. However, they are poor in thermal stability and pose fire or explosion, which has attracted the global attention. This study describes a new route to mitigate the battery thermal runaway (TR) hazard by poison agents. First, the self-destructive cell is built using the embedded poison layer. Then, the poisoning mechanism and paths are experimentally investigated at the material, electrode, and cell levels. Finally, the proposed route is verified by TR tests. The results show the TR hazard can be significantly reduced in the self-destructive cell based on a new reaction sequence regulation. Specifically, the maximum temperature of the self-destructive cell is more than 300 °C lower than that of the normal cell during TR. The drop in maximum temperature can reduce total heat release and the probability of TR propagation in the battery system, significantly improving battery safety.