Fracture behavior of solid electrolyte LATP material based on micro-pillar splitting method

The NASICON type solid electrolyte LATP is a promising candidate for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries considering energy density and safety aspects. To ensure the performance and reliability of batteries, crack initiation and propagation within the electrolyte need to be suppressed, which requires knowledge of the fracture characteristics. In the current work, micro-pillar splitting was applied to determine the fracture toughness of LATP material for different grain orientations. The results are compared with data obtained using a conventional Vickers indentation fracture (VIF) approach. The fracture toughness obtained via micro-pillar splitting test is 0.89 +/- 0.13 MPa center dot m1/2, which is comparable to the VIF result, and grain orientation has no significant effect on the intrinsic fracture toughness. Being a brittle ceramic material, the effect of pre-existing defects on the toughness needs to be considered.

Automated summary

In this study, the fracture toughness of NASICON type solid electrolyte LATP material was investigated using micro-pillar splitting and Vickers indentation fracture approaches. The results showed that the fracture toughness obtained from both methods were comparable, and grain orientation did not have a significant effect on intrinsic fracture toughness.