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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

Physical Metallurgy of Lithium and Sodium and its Role in Electrochemical Stability of Solid-State Battery Anodes

  • Chiung-Yuan Lo1,2
  • Vijay D. Veeraraghavan1,2
  • Cole D. Fincher1,2
  • Callum J. Campbell3,4
  • QianQian Yan1,2
  • David Mitlin3,4
  • Yet-Ming Chiang1,2
4 affiliations
  1. 1Materials Science and Engineering
  2. 2Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  3. 3Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering
  4. 4University of Texas at Austin
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Abstract

Alkali metal negative electrodes in solid-state batteries (SSBs) undergo mechanical deformation during cycling, for which an understanding of their physical metallurgy is critical. Here, we study the link between microstructure and plastic deformation in lithium and sodium. Grain size is controlled through deformation processing, and etching methods are developed to reveal grain boundaries, subgrain boundaries, and dislocation structures. Hall-Petch strengthening with decreasing grain size occurs in both metals. Creep rate in lithium is grain-size-independent above the subgrain size, but increases at small grain sizes where diffusional creep dominates. Oxide dispersion-strengthened behavior is observed in Li. At length scales below the subgrain size, strength increases and creep rates decrease due to dislocation starvation. Solid-state electrochemical cell tests in which lithium of differing foil thickness is stripped under pressure validates length-scale effects. Overall, this work provides a physical metallurgy framework for alkali metal deformation and offers design principles for advanced SSBs.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{lo2026physical,
  title = {{Physical Metallurgy of Lithium and Sodium and its Role in Electrochemical Stability of Solid-State Battery Anodes}},
  author = {Chiung-Yuan Lo and Vijay D. Veeraraghavan and Cole D. Fincher and Callum J. Campbell and QianQian Yan and David Mitlin and Yet-Ming Chiang},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15008481/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008481/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Physical Metallurgy of Lithium and Sodium and its Role in Electrochemical Stability of Solid-State Battery Anodes
AU  - Chiung-Yuan Lo
AU  - Vijay D. Veeraraghavan
AU  - Cole D. Fincher
AU  - Callum J. Campbell
AU  - QianQian Yan
AU  - David Mitlin
AU  - Yet-Ming Chiang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/08
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15008481/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008481/v1
AB  - Alkali metal negative electrodes in solid-state batteries (SSBs) undergo mechanical deformation during cycling, for which an understanding of their physical metallurgy is critical. Here, we study the link between microstructure and plastic deformation in lithium and sodium. Grain size is controlled through deformation processing, and etching methods are developed to reveal grain boundaries, subgrain boundaries, and dislocation structures. Hall-Petch strengthening with decreasing grain size occurs in both metals. Creep rate in lithium is grain-size-independent above the subgrain size, but increases at small grain sizes where diffusional creep dominates. Oxide dispersion-strengthened behavior is observed in Li. At length scales below the subgrain size, strength increases and creep rates decrease due to dislocation starvation. Solid-state electrochemical cell tests in which lithium of differing foil thickness is stripped under pressure validates length-scale effects. Overall, this work provides a physical metallurgy framework for alkali metal deformation and offers design principles for advanced SSBs.
ER  -