In this study, NASICON-type Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 (x = 0.1, 0.3 and 0.4) solid-state electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries were synthesized through the sol-gel method. In addition, the influence on the ion conductivity of solid-state electrolytes when partially substituted for Ti4+ (0.61Å) site to Ga3+ (0.62Å) of trivalent cations was investigated. The obtained precursor was heat treated at 450 °C, and a single crystalline phase of Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 systems was obtained at a calcination temperature above 650 °C. Additionally, the calcinated powders were pelletized and sintered at temperatures from 800 °C to 1,000 °C at 100 °C intervals. The synthesized powder and sintered bodies of Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 were characterized using TGDTA, XRD, XPS and FE-SEM. The ionic conduction properties as solid-state electrolytes were investigated by AC impedance. As a result, Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 was successfully produced in all cases. However, a GaPO4 impurity was formed due to the high sintering temperatures and high Ga content. The crystallinity of Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 increased with the sintering temperature as evidenced by FE-SEM observations, which demonstrated that the edges of the larger cube-shaped grains become sharper with increases in the sintering temperature. In samples with high sintering temperatures at 1,000 °C and high Ga content above 0.3, coarsening of grains occurred. This resulted in the formation of many grain boundaries, leading to low sinterability. These two factors, the impurity and grain boundary, have an enormous impact on the properties of Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3. The Li1.3Ga0.3 Ti1.7(PO4)3 pellet sintered at 900 °C was denser than those sintered at other conditions, showing the highest total ion conductivity of 7.66 × 10-5 S/cm at room temperature. The total activation energy of Li-ion transport for the Li1.3Ga0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 solidstate electrolyte was estimated to be as low as 0.36 eV. Although the Li1+XGaXTi2-X(PO4)3 sintered at 1,000 °C had a relatively high apparent density, it had less total ionic conductivity due to an increase in the grain-boundary resistance with coarse grains.
This study investigates the effect of the microstructure of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP), a solid electrolyte, on its ionic conductivity. Solid electrolytes, a key component in electrochemical energy storage devices such as batteries, differ from traditional liquid electrolytes by utilizing solid-state ionic conductors. LATP, characterized by its NASICON structure, facilitates rapid lithium-ion movement and exhibits relatively high ionic conductivity, chemical stability, and good electrochemical compatibility. In this study, the microstructure and ionic conductivity of LATP specimens sintered at 850, 900, and 950oC for various sintering times are analyzed. The results indicate that the changes in the microstructure due to sintering temperature and time significantly affect ionic conductivity. Notably, the specimens sintered at 900oC for 30 min exhibit high ionic conductivity. This study presents a method to optimize the ionic conductivity of LATP. Additionally, it underscores the need for a deeper understanding of the Li-ion diffusion mechanism and quantitative microstructure analysis.
Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3(LATP) is considered a promising material for all-solid-state lithium batteries owing to its high moisture stability, wide potential window (~6 V), and relatively high ion conductivity (10-3–10-4 S/cm). Solid electrolytes based on LATP are manufactured via sintering, using LATP powder as the starting material. The properties of the starting materials depend on the synthesis conditions, which affect the microstructure and ionic conductivity of the solid electrolytes. In this study, we synthesize the LATP powder using sol-gel and co-precipitation methods and characterize the physical properties of powder, such as size, shape, and crystallinity. In addition, we have prepared a disc-shaped LATP solid electrolyte using LATP powder as the starting material. In addition, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic measurements are conducted to analyze the grain size, microstructures, and ion conduction properties. These results indicate that the synthesis conditions of the powder are a crucial factor in creating microstructures and affecting the conduction properties of lithium ions in solid electrolytes.
이온전도도가 높은 상온 이온액을 이용하여 저온, 고온 상분리에 의한 multi-stage phase separation process로 새로운 고정화 이온액 전해질 막(supported ionic liquid electrolyte membranes, SILEMs)을 제조하였다. PVDF와 imidazolium계 이온액을 각각 분리막 소재와 전해액으로 사용하였다. 이온전도도 특성을 알아보기 위해 SILEMs을 LCR meter를 이용 해 30℃부터 130℃까지 실험하였다. 가습조건에서 cast Nafion 막의 이온전도도는 30℃부터 100℃까지는 직선적으로 증가하였으나 그 이후에는 감소하였다. 그러나 SILEMs의 경우 운전온도의 증가에 따라 이온전도도가 증가하였다. 또한 SILEMs의 이온전도도 거동은 가습과 관계없이 거의 같았다. SILEMs의 이온전도도는 30℃에서 2.7×10 -3 S/cm이었고 온도가 130℃까지 증가함에 따라 2.2×10 -2 S/cm까지 거의 직선적으로 증가하였다. SiO2를 이용하여 SILEMs의 물리적 성질에 대한 무기첨가제의 영향에 관하여 연구하였다. SILEMs에 SiO2의 첨가는 비록 약간의 이온전도도 감소는 있으나 SILEMs의 기계적 강도를 향상시킬 수 있었다.