Phase-Field Modeling of Dendrite Growth in Lithium Electrodeposition Process in Lithium Metal Batteries

The lithium metal anode represents an excellent choice of material for rechargeable batteries, while lithium dendrites growth has adverse effects on the manufacturing and performance of batteries because the lithium ions deposit unevenly on the electrode surface during the electrochemical process, which can lead to short circuits and safety issues within the battery. This work studied the morphology of lithium dendrites under two initial conditions: initial nuclei and smooth planar interface. By introducing the noise to the order parameter and concentration ratio, the model is able to simulate mossy dendrites, which is highly influenced by the nonuniformity of deposition and the charging conditions. Through the investigation of the fluctuations in lithium-ion concentration near the metal/electrolyte interface, it is found that with increased applied voltage, branches of the second order appeared orthogonal to the direction of growth. The simulation results reported in this work can shed light on the foundational principles of lithium dendritic growth and offer a regulation strategy for inhibition of lithium dendrite growth.