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Electrochemical performance of NiCl2 with Br-free molten salt electrolyte in high power thermal batteries

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Abstract

NiCl2 with high theoretical voltage and thermal decomposition temperature attracts much attention as cathode material for thermal batteries with the requirement of high power density, high energy density and long work time. Unfortunately, the practical utilization of thermal batteries with NiCl2 cathode is limited by their poor electrochemical performance under large current, even with the conventional LiF-LiCl-LiBr all-lithium molten salt electrolyte which proposes ultrahigh lithium ion conductivity. In this work, an unexpected ionic exchange reaction between NiCl2 and LiBr in LiF-LiCl-LiBr was found, which would be the main reason for the poor electrochemical behavior of thermal batteries with NiCl2 cathode and LiF-LiCl-LiBr molten salt. On this basis, LiF-LiCl-Li2SO4, another all-lithium molten salt free of LiBr, was investigated as the new electrolyte for NiCl2 cathode. For the single cell of Li(Si)/LiF-LiCl-Li2SO4/NiCl2, a discharge capacity of 377 mA h g−1 (with a cut-off voltage of 1.2 V) was achieved with large current density (500 mA cm−2) applied at 520°C, which is almost twice of that of Li(Si)/LiF-LiCl-LiBr/NiCl2(190 mA h g−1) at the same conditions.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Electronic Engineering, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621000, China

    Yong Cao, Jian Li, Peng Yang, KaiYuan Wei, ShiPing Ma, XiaoQiang Zhang, XiaoJiang Liu & YanHua Cui

  2. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Peng Yang

  3. State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China

    MeiFen Wu & ZhaoYin Wen

Authors
  1. Yong Cao
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  2. Jian Li
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  3. Peng Yang
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  4. KaiYuan Wei
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  9. YanHua Cui
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  10. ZhaoYin Wen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to YanHua Cui.

Additional information

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Associate Foundation (NSAF) of China (Grant No. U1930208), the Laboratory of Precision Manufacturing Technology, China Academy of Engineering Physics (Grant No. ZD17006, ZM18002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11804312 and 21703215), and the Science and Technology Innovation Foundation of Institute of Electronic Engineering (Grant No. S201904).

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Cao, Y., Li, J., Yang, P. et al. Electrochemical performance of NiCl2 with Br-free molten salt electrolyte in high power thermal batteries. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 64, 91–97 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-020-1640-1

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