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Li insertion in ball-milled graphitic carbon studied by total x-ray diffraction
Valeri Petkov1, Adam Timmons, John Camardese
1Department of Physics, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858, USA. petkov@phy.cmich.edu
Summary
Ball milling graphitic carbon creates vacancies, enhancing initial lithium storage. Longer milling disrupts layers, reducing capacity. This study reveals structural changes impacting energy storage performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Graphitic carbon materials are crucial for energy storage applications, particularly lithium-ion batteries.
- Understanding the structural evolution of graphitic carbon under processing is key to optimizing its performance.
- Ball milling is a common technique to modify carbon materials, but its precise structural effects on lithium accommodation are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural changes in ball-milled graphitic carbon upon lithiation.
- To correlate these structural modifications with lithium storage capacity.
- To elucidate the role of atomic vacancies and layer buckling in lithium accommodation.
Main Methods:
- Total X-ray diffraction using high-energy synchrotron radiation scattering.
- Atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis.
- Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations guided by experimental data.
Main Results:
- Short-time ball milling creates smaller graphitic pieces and atomic vacancies, increasing lithium accommodation.
- Longer milling times generate more vacancies but also cause layer buckling and atom displacement, hindering lithium storage.
- The study explains the observed initial increase and subsequent decrease in lithium storage capacity with milling time.
Conclusions:
- Total X-ray diffraction and PDF analysis are powerful tools for characterizing complex materials.
- Ball milling induces significant structural changes in graphitic carbon, affecting its lithium storage capability.
- Optimizing ball milling parameters is essential for tailoring graphitic carbon structures for enhanced energy storage.
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