Effects of cell positive cans and separators on the performance of high-voltage Li-ion batteries

The effects of different cell positive cans and separators on first-cycle Coulombic efficiency and long-term cycling stability of a high-voltage spinel cathode are investigated systematically. Compared to stainless steel (SS) positive cans, aluminum (Al)-clad SS-316 positive cans are much more resistant to oxidation at high voltages; therefore, the initial Coulombic efficiency of the batteries with Al-clad can is improved by more than 13%. Among the five separators studied in this work, the polyethylene (PE) separator exhibits the best electrochemical stability. The cells using LiCr0.05Ni0.45Mn1.5O4 as the cathode, an Al-clad positive can, and a PE separator exhibits a first-cycle Coulombic efficiency of about 90% and a capacity fading of only 0.01% per cycle. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.