Xin Fu Tan¹, Hideyuki Yasuda², Stuart McDonald¹, Kazuhiro Nogita¹; ¹The University of Queensland, ²Kyoto University

The intermetallic Cu6Sn5 is a promising candidate material for lithium-ion battery anodes due to its higher theoretical storage capacity of 605 mAh g-1 vs. 372 mAh g-1 compared to traditional carbon-based anodes, combined with better safety profiles with lower risks of Li dendrite formation. One of the simplest methods of producing Cu6Sn5 is through a spontaneously reaction between a Cu current collector and a liquid Sn-based alloy. The addition of 2-14wt% of Ni to the Cu current collector greatly accelerates the growth of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5, reducing the processing time above 200˚C to less than 10 minutes. This research studies the dynamics of the accelerated growth through real-time observation of the formation of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 between Cu-xNi alloys and liquid Sn using Synchrotron X-ray imaging. The results help establish the mechanisms of growth and confirm the kinetics are suitable for potential mass production with existing equipment and technologies.