Mitigating thermal runaway hazard of high-energy lithium-ion batteries by poison agent

Lithium-ion batteries with high-energy density are extensively commercialized in long-range electric vehicles. However, they are poor in thermal stability and pose fire or explosion, which has attracted the global attention. This study describes a new route to mitigate the battery thermal runaway (TR) haz-ard by poison agents. First, the self-destructive cell is built using the embedded poison layer. Then, the poisoning mechanism and paths are experimentally investigated at the material, electrode, and cell levels. Finally, the proposed route is verified by TR tests. The results show the TR hazard can be signifi-cantly reduced in the self-destructive cell based on a new reaction sequence regulation. Specifically, the maximum temperature of the self-destructive cell is more than 300 degrees C lower than that of the normal cell during TR. The drop in maximum temperature can reduce total heat release and the probability of TR propagation in the battery system, significantly improving battery safety. (c) 2023 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study presents a new approach to mitigate the thermal runaway hazard in lithium-ion batteries by using poison agents. A self-destructive cell with an embedded poison layer was constructed and the poisoning mechanism and paths were experimentally investigated at different levels. The proposed route was validated through thermal runaway tests, showing a significantly reduced maximum temperature and improved battery safety.