Degradation Diagnostics for Commercial Lithium-Ion Cells Tested at − 10°C

Degradation of lithium ion (Li-ion) cells affects both performance and safety of Li-ion batteries. In order to avoid potential safety hazards, it is crucial to detect the onset and extent of critical degradation modes in commercial Li-ion cells. This work demonstrates the application of a diagnostic algorithm to identify and quantify degradation modes of commercial Li-ion pouch cells cycled at − 10°C and a C-rate of 2 C. Rapid loss of active negative electrode material was successfully identified and results were validated using 3-electrode cells, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The positive electrode material was less strongly affected by the tests, as found by the diagnostic algorithm and confirmed with EDX and SEM results.