Size Dependence of Transport Non-Uniformities on Localized Plating in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Plating in lithium-ion batteries not only reduces their lifetime, but also raises safety concerns. Preventing metallic lithium from forming is difficult, as the heterogeneity of materials typically used in batteries can create transport non-uniformities, which can lead to unanticipated local plating. Therefore, being able to predict the occurrence of plating due to a non-uniformity of a certain shape and size becomes essential. In this study, we probe the importance of the size scale and geometry on localized plating through numerical simulations and experiments. Using modified separators to create transport non-uniformities, we show that certain geometric features lead to more vulnerability to plating, and localization strongly depends on size. A single large feature in a separator induces more plating than a collection of smaller features with same total area. Our findings help elucidate the fundamentals behind heterogeneous plating, which can provide practical insights into battery safety and product control.