Tailoring electrical and structural properties of LZCP ceramic electrolytes via cold sintering using coadditives
摘要
Cerium-doped lithium zirconium phosphate (LiZr1.9Ce0.1(PO4)3) solid electrolyte was synthesized by the solid-state reaction method and densified using the cold sintering process (CSP). The effects of water and 0.25Li2O–0.75B2O3 (LiBO) additives on density, microstructure, dielectric behavior, and ionic conductivity were systematically examined. Structural characterization revealed that these additives—particularly in combination—significantly promote the formation of the R3-c phase, thereby stabilizing the fast-ion-conducting framework. Impedance spectroscopy (IS) showed that samples processed with CSP and coadditives exhibited reduced grain boundary resistance, achieving a total ionic conductivity of 7.2 × 10⁻6 S cm⁻1 at 50 °C with shortened dwell time. The integration of coadditives with CSP produced dense microstructures with minimal closed porosity, improving both ionic transport and structural integrity. These results demonstrate that the combined use of CSP and optimized additive chemistry is an effective strategy for enhancing the performance of NASICON-type electrolytes, making them more suitable for next-generation all-solid-state battery applications.