Thermal stability of modified lithium-ion battery electrolyte by flame retardant, tris (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite

With the increasing awareness of green energy, electric vehicles have become the future trend, with lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) regarded as the most suitable energy storage carrier. Therefore, more and more research topics are focused on LIBs, and all parties are working hard to improve the performance of LIBs. Yet, the safety concerns caused by the failure of LIBs cannot be ignored. LIBs themselves are energetic materials, and the causes of accidents often go through multistage irreversible reactions. Several studies have also pointed out that the electrolyte has a significant correlation with the response characteristics because, in the process of LIBs thermal runaway, the electrolyte participating in the oxidation of the entire battery leads to a considerable amount of heat and even runaway reaction as well. Accordingly, it is necessary to obtain a safer electrolyte by modification. In this study, a significant flame retardant (FR) additive, tris (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) phosphite (TTFP), is used to suppress lithium-ion battery fires or even explosions and maintain typical battery performance. The performance of the electrolyte was tested by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyzer, and the electrolysis was examined on liquid flash point (FP), self-extinguishing time (SET), and conductivity. During the heating process, adding TTFP to the electrolyte effectively delayed the exothermic peak, reduced the amount of heat, improved the FP, and curtailed the SET. The hazard degree of the electrolyte under high-temperature environment was much lower than before adding the additives, and the additives were finally obtained. It can conclusively prove the safety of lithium batteries without lessening the practical performance of the batteries.