Considering the constantly increasing demands for a large variety of applications for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), the need for both improved high-energy as well as high-power systems is inevitable. Despite the current focus of academic and industrial research and development on high-energy systems, the power-capability of these materials, electrodes, and cells is very limited, excluding them from applications that demand a high rate capability and the mostly corresponding wide temperature stability window. In this regard, the anode active material is of special interest as the limiting factor with regard to rate capability and thermal stability.
Therein, the spinel-type anode active material Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries features zero-strain behavior, a high lithiation/delithiation potential at ~1.55 V vs. Li/Li+ and high current rate tolerance [1]. Thus, in contrast to commercially used graphite as anode active material, LTO offers longer cycle life and higher battery safety, since its high working potential vs. Li/Li+ excludes the risk of lithium plating. These features make LTO a very promising anode candidate for LIB based high power applications like in stationary energy storage systems or as starter batteries. However, its commercial breakthrough is still hindered due to intensive gas evolution during cycling and storage. [1] In this study the influence of the temperature during formation of LTO based LIBs is investigated in multilayered Pouch cell in terms of capacity behavior and gas evolution during subsequent cycling. It is observed that the specific capacity and gas evolution can significantly be influenced by simply choosing different conditions during the formation procedure even without using film forming electrolyte additives or specifically coated LTO particles.