Following Hard Carbon Sodiation Using Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering
Isak Drevander
Chalmers University of Technology
Hard carbon is regarded as the anode material of choice in sodium-ion batteries. Due to the amorphous structure of the material, the sodiation process in hard carbon anodes is nevertheless still a debated topic in research. In this contribution, a method to study the sodiation process in hard carbon electrodes using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering is presented. By studying variations in the scattering profile (see fig. 1) at different degrees of sodiation, changes in the hard carbon structure can be deduced. The structural information can then be compared to electrochemical data to infer the underlying storage mechanisms during cell operation. Cells were cycled using two different electrolytes to investigate if varying cell chemistries can affect the sodiation process. Intercalation and pore filling were both found to occur in the hard carbon electrode, but the degree to which the mechanisms contribute to the storage capacity changes between the different electrolytes.
