In-Situ Observations of Lithium Dendrite Growth

One of the root causes of lithium battery failure is lithium dendrite formation. Dendrites can result in internal short circuits and ultimately thermal runaway, fires, and explosions. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to study dendrites due to an inability to conduct in-situ observations. This paper presents an in-situ observation approach, consisting of an optically transparent lithium battery cell to observe dendrite growth evolution while concurrently monitoring the electrical characteristics of the cell under various current densities.