Influence of the Electrolyte on the Internal Resistance of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Studied with an Intermittent Current Interruption Method

Galvanostatic cycling combined with a modified intermittent current interruption resistance determination method is presented as a fast, accurate, and comparatively simple analytical tool for following internal resistance changes in batteries over long-term cycling. The technique is demonstrated here to study the influence of electrolyte composition and volume on the internal resistance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. This approach is found to be particularly useful for the study of the Li-S system, where resistance changes considerably during charge and discharge as a result of compositional changes to the positive electrode and the electrolyte, but may also be valuable in the study of other battery systems.