Silicon Anode Battery for Aviation Applications

Abstract

Silicon-based anodes represent a highly promising alternative for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to their exceptionally high theoretical specific capacity. This technology holds a strong potential to drastically increase cell-level energy density, making it a critical driver for demanding applications like electric aviation. However, commercial implementation is heavily hindered by severe structural degradation, including pulverization and mud-cracking, caused by an extreme volumetric expansion of up to 300% during cycling. To address this challenge, this thesis introduces a dual-stage processing strategy utilizing a 70/30 partial ball-milling split, where 70% of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes are ball-milled with silicon to secure local electrical contact and the remaining 30% are introduced during slurry mixing to retain long-range matrix connectivity. Morphological and electrochemical evaluations confirm that this optimized architecture successfully mitigates localized active material isolation while buffering immense physical stresses. Ultimately, the partially milled anode delivered an impressive initial discharge capacity of approximately 2,300 mAh g⁻¹ and maintained stable high-capacity retention, demonstrating a robust pathway toward viable, high-energy-density batteries.