Simulated annealing reconstruction and characterization of a LiCoO2 Lithium-ion battery cathode

We reconstruct the three-dimensional microstructure of a cathode from a commercial LiCoO2 Lithium-ion battery with an adapted simulated annealing approach. The real size distribution curve of LiCoO2 particles is applied to regulate the reconstruction process. By discretizing a 40 μm×40 μm×40 μm cathode volume with 8000000 numerical cubes, the cathode involving three individual phases： （1） LiCoO2 as active material, （2） pores or electrolyte, and （3） additives （polyvinylidene fluoride＋carbon black） is reconstructed. Characterization of the reconstructed cathode gives important structural and transport properties including volume-specific surface area between phases, tortuosity and geometrical connectivity of individual phase.