Effect of purification of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran/ethylene carbonate mixed solvent electrolytes on cyclability of lithium metal anodes for rechargeable cells

The effects of the purification of LiAsF₆–2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (2MeTHF)/ethylene carbonate (EC) mixed solvent organic electrolytes on the charge–discharge cyclability of lithium metal anodes has been investigated by using an accelerated method for evaluating lithium cycling efficiency. This method involves cycle tests on coin cells with an amorphous V₂O₅–P₂O₅ (95:5 molar ratio) cathode and an anode containing a small amount of lithium. Using this method, the cycle life of the cell was determined over a short period simply from the lithium cycling efficiency. The lithium cycling efficiency in LiAsF₆–2MeTHF/EC was improved by removing both water and organic impurities such as peroxides. An electrolyte containing less than 14ppm of water and 20ppm of organic impurities had a high lithium cycling efficiency of 97.2%.