Ag-Coated Super Duplex Stainless Steel AISI2507 with or without Crystallization of Secondary Phase as Advanced Li-Ion Battery Case Material

Li-ion batteries used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles require high safety standards, necessitating the use of high-performance structural materials for battery casings. Super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) is a structural material suitable for portable electronic products owing to its excellent strength and corrosion resistance. SDSS AISI2507 was used to construct a Li-ion battery casing, a Ag coating was applied via physical vapor deposition (PVD) after the heat treatment of AISI2507 with or without a secondary phase, and the coating thickness was controlled by varying the PVD time. The thickness of the Ag coating layer increased proportionally with time, thereby enhancing the electrical conductivity. The structure and coating behavior were confirmed using FE-SEM, XRD, and GDS. The secondary phase was crystallized by the segregation of the alloy and formed a BCC structure. The FCC lattice structure exhibited excellent coating behavior on the austenite (FCC structure) of AISI2507. Conversely, the secondary phase exhibited low adhesion owing to differences in composition and crystal structure. However, the Ag coating layer on AISI2507 exhibited excellent electrical conductivity, outperforming conventional Ni-plated Li-ion battery casings comprising AISI304. However, the precipitation of the secondary phase must be controlled, as the formation of the secondary phase acts as a factor that decreases electrical conductivity from 58.8 to 53.6 (ICAS) %. The excellent performance of Ag-coated AISI2507 makes it suitable for the fabrication of enhanced Li-ion battery casings.