During the charging process of a lithium-ion battery, lithium ions are extracted from the positive electrode and inserted into the negative electrode. However, if some abnormal conditions occur and the lithium ions extracted from the positive electrode cannot be inserted into the negative electrode, then the lithium ions can only be deposited on the surface of the negative electrode, thus forming a layer of gray substance, which is called lithium plating.
Lithium plating is a type of loss condition in lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium plating can be broadly categorized into five types: lithium plating caused by insufficient negative electrode margin; lithium plating caused by charging mechanism; lithium plating caused by abnormal lithium intercalation path; lithium plating caused by abnormal main material; and lithium plating at fixed locations caused by special reasons.
Lithium plating not only degrades battery performance and significantly shortens cycle life, but also limits the battery's fast-charging capacity and may cause catastrophic consequences such as combustion and explosion.
