Calendar aging of silicon-containing batteries

Silicon-containing batteries are increasingly becoming a reality in the mass market, but their calendar aging behaviours have received comparatively little attention. Researchers from the Silicon Consortium Project discuss the issues surrounding the calendar lifetime of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries. High-energy batteries for automotive applications require cells to endure well over a decade of constant use, making their long-term stability paramount. This is particularly challenging for emerging cell chemistries containing silicon, for which extended testing information is scarce. While much of the research on silicon anodes has focused on mitigating the consequences of volume changes during cycling, comparatively little is known about the time-dependent degradation of silicon-containing batteries. Here we discuss a series of studies on the reactivity of silicon that, collectively, paint a picture of how the chemistry of silicon exacerbates the calendar aging of lithium-ion cells. Assessing and mitigating this shortcoming should be the focus of future research to fully realize the benefits of this battery technology.

Automated summary

Silicon-containing batteries are gaining popularity in the mass market, but the calendar aging behaviors of silicon anodes have not been well studied. Researchers are discussing the challenges surrounding the long-term stability of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries, especially in high-energy batteries for automotive applications. Future research should focus on assessing and mitigating the time-dependent degradation of silicon-containing batteries to fully realize their benefits.