Long-duration Periodic Operando Neutron Diffraction Studies of Industrial Multi-Layer Li-ion Battery Pouch Cells

The aim of this proposal is to conduct the first long-duration operando neutron diffraction experiment of an industry-like battery pouch cell at ISIS. This proposal builds on the successful completion of our earlier operando neutron diffraction studies of industry-like multi-layer pouch cells (RB2410216, Oct 2024), where we studied cycling-induced structural degradation in LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2-graphite electrochemical system. Here the degradation was found to be predominantly associated with the growth of structural fatigue in the LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode. However, as this study was performed using fresh and aged (>600 cycles) cells, it was not able to obtain any information about the nucleation, and evolution of the structural fatigue in the cathode. In this proposal, we want to build on this work, and study the growth and development of structural fatigue in the cathode, as well as the simultaneous changes in the anode during extended long-term cycling through operando neutron diffraction. The measurements will span across 2-3 ISIS cycles, with operando measurements carried out after every 100th cycle up to the 600th cycle.