Thermal stability of active/inactive nanocomposite anodes based on Cu2Sb in lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Various active/inactive nanocomposites of Cu2Sb–Al2O3@C, Cu2Sb–TiC, and Cu2Sb–TiC@C have been synthesized by high energy mechanical milling and investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the lithiated phase stability and heat generation arising from these electrodes. The milling process reduces the Li3Sb phase stability, relative to the un-milled samples, to below ∼200 °C. However, the incorporation of the reinforcing, inactive phases Al2O3, TiC, and carbon black offer a slight improvement. DSC curves also show that the low-temperature heat generation in the SEI-layer reaction range is not noticeably altered by either the milling process or the addition of the inactive phases. A strong exothermic peak is observed at ∼200 °C for the 0% state of charge electrodes of Cu2Sb–Al2O3@C and Cu2Sb–TiC@C that was caused by the incorporation of carbon black into the composite. This peak was not present in the electrodes of milled Cu2Sb or Cu2Sb–TiC, suggesting that efforts to extend the cycle life of alloy anodes should avoid carbon black due to its destabilizing effects on delithiated electrodes. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicates that the reaction arising from the incorporation of carbon black is tied to a low-temperature breakdown of the lithium salt LiPF6.