Graphite Electrode Elastic Properties upon Li Intercalation

There is widespread interest in improving the performance and capacity of Li-ion batteries. Graphite is the standard anode material in these devices. As such, there is a critical need for an in-depth understanding of fundamental graphite properties at the varying operating conditions of a device.
First-principles calculations reveal a three-fold increase in the Young’s modulus of graphite as it is lithiated (C->LiC6). A linear expression is determined that describes the approximate stiffness of Li intercalated graphite as a function of loading which may lead to greatly improved continuum models of electrode deformation and failure.
http://www.materialsdesign.com/appnote/graphite-electrode-elastic-proper…