The Physical Manifestation of Side Reactions in the Electrolyte of Lithium-Ion Batteries and Its Impact on the Terminal Voltage Response

Batteries as a multi-disciplinary field have been analyzed from the electrical, material science and electrochemical engineering perspectives. The first principle-based four-dimensional degradation model (4DM) of the battery is used in the article to connect the interdisciplinary sciences that deal with batteries. The 4DM is utilized to identify the physical manifestation that electrolyte degradation has on the battery and the response observed in the terminal voltage. This paper relates the different kinds of side reactions in the electrolyte and the material properties affected due to these side reactions. It goes on to explain the impact the material property changes has on the electrochemical reactions in the battery. This paper discusses how these electrochemical reactions affect the voltage across the terminals of the battery. We determine the relationship the change in the terminal voltage has due to the change in the design properties of the electrolyte. We also determine the impact the changes in the electrolyte material property have on the terminal voltage. In this paper, the lithium ion concentration and the transference number of the electrolyte are analyzed and the impact of their degradation is studied.