Study on Microstructure, Corrosion, and Heat Resistance of Ni/Cu/Ni Composite Foil and Battery Application
摘要
Sulfur-based cathode materials show great potential in next-generation high-performance lithium batteries. Sulfide electrolytes generate Cu2S, which negatively impacts battery performance. Nickel’s superior corrosion resistance led us to adopt double-sided nickel plating on copper foil to enhance its corrosion and high-temperature resistance with minimal effects on other properties. By testing copper foils with identical nickel thickness under varying current densities, we identified optimal parameters: 3.5 A/dm2 current density and 1 μm nickel layer thickness. This configuration demonstrated balanced improvements in microstructure, tensile strength, elongation, surface roughness, brightness, and thermal stability. Although nickel’s lower conductivity slightly reduced battery performance compared to unplated copper, cells assembled with this optimized Ni/Cu composite foil exhibited the highest capacity at the specified parameters. The nickel layer effectively mitigates Cu2S formation while preserving copper’s core advantages, offering a viable strategy for sulfide electrolyte-based solid-state batteries requiring enhanced durability.