Cross-Sectional Chemo-Mechanics of Aluminium Anodes for Solid-state Batteries

The electro-chemo-mechanical behavior of Al anodes in solid-state batteries is not fully understood, making validation of theoretical models challenging. Especially in solid-state batteries, where substantial uni-axial pressure is needed, Al anodes pose difficulties. This proposal aims to quantify changes in cross-sectional microstructure and stress distributions across Al foils with varying hardness during lithiation and delithiation. Cross-sectional X-ray nanodiffraction will characterize Al and LixAl phases, while wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) data will assess phase evolution, crystalline sizes, texture, and strains during lithiation and delithiation at different stack pressures and cycling rates. This experiment will yield quantitative insights into the kinetics of Li alloy formation and the chemo-mechanical behavior of Li-Al alloys under defined stack pressures and currents, relevant for real-world applications.