EFFECTS OF MILLING TIME ON MORPHOLOGY AND ELECTROCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE OF Li4Ti5O12/C COMPOSITE ANODE

Abstract

The Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C anode material was prepared via high energy ball milling method for 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours and subsequently heat treated at 850 °C for 12 hours in N₂ atmosphere. The structure and morphology of the prepared Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C composite was characterized by means of X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) and Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The morphological changes of the Li4Ti5O12/C composite resulted from different milling time strongly influences the electrochemical performance of this anode material. The Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C composite which was milled for 2 hours delivered the best electrochemical performance with a discharge capacity of 154 mAhg-1 when cycled between 1.0 and 3.0 V vs. Li/Li+. Particulate morphology observed from FESEM images showed that samples that were milled for 8 hours have increased agglomeration compared to that milled for 2, 4 and 6 hours. The larger surface area for reaction with Li+ improves the discharge capacity of the Li₄Ti₅O1₂/C anode material.