Spark Plasma Sintering of LiFePO4: AC Field Suppressing Lithium Migration

Our work proposes a comparison between Spark Plasma Sintering of LiFePO4 carried out using an Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC). It quantifies the Li-ion migration using DC, and it validates such hypothesis using impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The use of an AC field seems effective to inhibit undesired Li-ion migration and achieve high ionic conductivity as high as 4.5 x 10(-3) S/cm, which exceeds by one order of magnitude samples processed under a DC field. These results anticipate the possibility of fabricating a high-performance all-solid-state Li-ion battery by preventing undesired Li loss during SPS processing.

Automated summary

This study compares the effects of Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) on Spark Plasma Sintering of LiFePO4, finding that the use of AC can enhance Li-ion migration efficiency and achieve higher ionic conductivity. It anticipates the possibility of fabricating high-performance all-solid-state Li-ion batteries.