A pre-strain strategy for suppressing interfacial debonding in carbon fiber structural battery composites

doi:10.1007/s10483-025-3296-7

Abstract

Abstract:

This study proposes a pre-strain optimization strategy for carbon fiber structural lithium-ion battery (SLIB) composites to inhibit the interfacial debonding between carbon fibers and solid-state electrolytes due to fiber lithiation. Through an analytical shear-lag model and finite element simulations, it is demonstrated that applying tensile pre-strain to carbon fibers before electrode assembly effectively reduces the interfacial shear stress, thereby suppressing debonding. However, the excessive pre-strain can induce the interfacial damage in the unlithiated state, necessitating careful control of the pre-strain within a feasible range. This range is influenced by electrode material properties and geometric parameters. Specifically, the electrodes with the higher solid-state electrolyte elastic modulus and larger electrolyte volume fraction exhibit more significant interfacial damage, making pre-strain application increasingly critical. However, these conditions also impose stricter constraints on the feasible pre-strain range. By elucidating the interplay between pre-strain, material properties, and geometric factors, this study provides valuable insights for optimizing the design of carbon fiber SLIBs.

Key words: pre-strain, carbon fiber, interfacial debonding, structural battery composite, mechanically-based design

2010 MSC Number:

O346

Chuanxi HU, Bo LU, Yinhua BAO, Yicheng SONG, Junqian ZHANG. A pre-strain strategy for suppressing interfacial debonding in carbon fiber structural battery composites. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition), 2025, 46(9): 1699-1714.

TrendMD

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Table 1

List of parameters and material properties used in the study"

Parameter	Unit	Value	Reference
Diffusion coefficient of lithium $(D)$	m²/s	$6.8 × 10 − 13$	[22]
Initial lithium concentration $(c ini)$	mol/m³	10	[13]
Maximum lithium concentration $(c max)$	mol/m³	11 596	[13]
Universal gas constant $(R)$	J/(mol·K)	8.314	–
Temperature $(T)$	K	300	–
Fiber radius $(a)$	m	$4.5 × 10 − 6$	–
SBE radius in the analytic model $(b)$	m	$9 × 10 − 6$	–
Representative cell length $(L)$	m	$90 × 10 − 6$	–
Longitudinal modulus of fiber $(E z f)$	GPa	294	[23]
Transverse modulus of fiber $(E r f)$	GPa	22	[23]
Shear modulus of fiber $(G r z f)$	GPa	12.5	[23]
Poisson's ratio of fiber $(v r z f, v r θ f)$	–	0.2, 0.2	[23]
Fiber density $(ρ)$	kg/m³	1 850	[13]
Young's modulus of SBE $(E m)$	GPa	0.535	[24]
Poisson's ratio of SBE $(ν m)$	–	0.38	[13]
Longitudinal expansion coefficient $(α z f)$	m³/mol	$8.63 × 10 − 7$	[13]
Critical shear stress $(τ 0, τ c)$	MPa	5	[25]
Critical interfacial shear displacement $(δ c, δ 1)$	mm	$6.8 × 10 − 5$	[17]–[18]
Slope of the elastic ascending branch in the bilinear traction-separation separation law $(K 0)$	MPa/mm	$7.353 × 105$	[17]–[18]
Slope of the damage descending branch in the bilinear traction-separation law $(K 1)$	MPa/mm	$− 8.170 × 104$	[17]–[18]

Table 1

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

References 29

[1]	CARLSTEDT, D. and ASP, L. E. Performance analysis framework for structural battery composites in electric vehicles. Composites Part B: Engineering, 186, 107822 (2020)
[2]	LI, H., SONG, Y. C., LU, B., and ZHANG, J. Q. Effects of stress dependent electrochemical reaction on voltage hysteresis of lithium ion batteries. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition), 39(10), 1453–1464 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10483-018-2373-8
[3]	SILVA, G., DUTRA, T. A., NUNES-PEREIRA, J., and SILVA, A. P. Coupled and decoupled structural batteries: a comparative analysis. Journal of Power Sources, 604, 234392 (2024)
[4]	KALNAUS, S., ASP, L. E., LI, J., VEITH, G. M., NANDA, J., DANIEL, C., CHEN, X. C., WESTOVER, A., and DUDNEY, N. J. Multifunctional approaches for safe structural batteries. Journal of Energy Storage, 40, 102747 (2021)
[5]	ISMAIL, K. B. M., KUMAR, M. A., MAHALINGAM, S., RAJ, B., and KIM, J. Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers for energy storage applications. Journal of Energy Storage, 84, 110931 (2024)
[6]	BOUTON, K., SCHNEIDER, L., ZENKERT, D., and LINDBERGH, G. A structural battery with carbon fibre electrodes balancing multifunctional performance. Composites Science and Technology, 256, 110728 (2024)
[7]	XU, J. and VARNA, J. Matrix and interface microcracking in carbon fiber/polymer structural micro-battery. Journal of Composite Materials, 53(25), 3615–3628 (2019)
[8]	PUPURS, A. and VARNA, J. Modeling mechanical stress and exfoliation damage in carbon fiber electrodes subjected to cyclic intercalation/deintercalation of lithium ions. Composites Part B: Engineering, 65, 69–79 (2014)
[9]	GUO, K., SRIDHAR, N., FOO, C. C., and SRINIVASAN, B. M. Energy release rate for steady-state fiber debonding in structural battery composites. Composites Science and Technology, 247, 110416 (2024)
[10]	XU, J. and VARNA, J. Matrix and interface microcracking in carbon fiber/polymer structural micro-battery. Journal of Composite Materials, 53(25), 3615–3628 (2019)
[11]	XU, J. and VARNA, J. Matrix and interface cracking in cross-ply composite structural battery under combined electrochemical and mechanical loading. Composites Science and Technology, 186, 107891 (2020)
[12]	RUI, B., LU, B., SONG, Y. C., and ZHANG, J. Q. A pre-strain strategy of current collectors for suppressing electrode debonding in lithium-ion batteries. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition), 44(4), 547–560 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10483-023-2976-9
[13]	XU, J., LINDBERGH, G., and VARNA, J. Multiphysics modeling of mechanical and electrochemical phenomena in structural composites for energy storage: single carbon fiber micro-battery. Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 37(10), 701–715 (2018)
[14]	LI, S., THOULESS, M. D., WAAS, A. M., SCHROEDER, J. A., and ZAVATTIERI, P. D. Use of mode-I cohesive-zone models to describe the fracture of an adhesively-bonded polymer-matrix composite. Composites Science and Technology, 65(2), 281–293 (2005)
[15]	MCCARTNEY, L. N. New theoretical model of stress transfer between fibre and matrix in a uniaxially fibre-reinforced composite. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 425(1868), 215–244 (1989)
[16]	CHEN, Z. and YAN, W. A shear-lag model with a cohesive fibre-matrix interface for analysis of fibre pull-out. Mechanics of Materials, 91, 119–135 (2015)
[17]	CHANDRA, N. Evaluation of interfacial fracture toughness using cohesive zone model. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 33(10), 1433–1447 (2002)
[18]	GUO, G. and ZHU, Y. Cohesive-shear-lag modeling of interfacial stress transfer between a monolayer graphene and a polymer substrate. Journal of Applied Mechanics, 82(3), 031005 (2015)
[19]	YOON, S., HAN, B., and WANG, Z. On moisture diffusion modeling using thermal-moisture analogy. Journal of Electronic Packaging, 129(4), 421–426 (2007)
[20]	LEE, S., YANG, J., and LU, W. Debonding at the interface between active particles and PVDF binder in Li-ion batteries. Extreme Mechanics Letters, 6, 37–44 (2016)
[21]	XU, R. and ZHAO, K. Corrosive fracture of electrodes in Li-ion batteries. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 121, 258–280 (2018)
[22]	KJELL, M. H., ZAVALIS, T. G., BEHM, M., and LINDBERGH, G. Electrochemical characterization of lithium intercalation processes of PAN-based carbon fibers in a microelectrode system. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 160(9), A1473 (2013)
[23]	DUAN, S., LIU, F., PETTERSSON, T., CREIGHTON, C., and ASP, L. E. Determination of transverse and shear moduli of single carbon fibres. Carbon, 158, 772–782 (2020)
[24]	IHRNER, N., JOHANNISSON, W., SIELAND, F., ZENKERT, D., and JOHANSSON, M. Structural lithium ion battery electrolytes via reaction induced phase-separation. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 5(48), 25652–25659 (2017)
[25]	XU, J., JOHANNISSON, W., JOHANSEN, M., LIU, F., ZENKERT, D., LINDBERGH, G., and ASP, L. E. Characterization of the adhesive properties between structural battery electrolytes and carbon fibers. Composites Science and Technology, 188, 107962 (2020)
[26]	LU, B., SONG, Y., GUO, Z., and ZHANG, J. Modeling of progressive delamination in a thin film driven by diffusion-induced stresses. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 50(14-15), 2495–2507 (2013)
[27]	GWAK, Y., JIN, Y., and CHO, M. Cohesive zone model for crack propagation in crystalline silicon nanowires. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 32, 3755–3763 (2018)
[28]	TARAFDER, P., DAN, S., and GHOSH, S. Finite deformation cohesive zone phase field model for crack propagation in multi-phase microstructures. Computational Mechanics, 66(3), 723–743 (2020)
[29]	PUPURS, A. and VARNA, J. Steady-state energy release rate for fiber/matrix interface debond growth in unidirectional composites. International Journal of Damage Mechanics, 26(4), 560–587 (2017)