Discover how to perform elemental and structural analysis in battery material testing

[julian-renpenni]

With the rise of electromobility and the consequent increase in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, the market for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) has seen consistently high growth rates over the last decades. Heading toward zero emission goals in Europe and worldwide the global lithium-ion manufacturing capacity is expected to experience an unprecedented demand for battery raw material and manufacturing capacities in the upcoming decade. At the same time, battery research and quality control requirements will need to keep up with the accelerated demand for electric storage capacities.

Battery manufacturers must not only deliver consistent overall quality, but they must also deliver it throughout the manufacturing process. Quality needs to be monitored at every stage from raw materials through to cell assembly to maintain production efficiency and minimize waste. Likewise, development of new battery materials must ascertain all the critical parameters that could affect battery performance throughout the entire manufacturing process.

The infographic below provides a great overview of the solutions for physical, chemical and structural analysis of cathode, anode, electrolyte and separator material and structure.

Find out more about the battery material analysis portfolio here >

Evaluation of batteries and battery components requires a variety of analytical methods that study materials and component surfaces at various scales. Here I would like to briefly highlight various analytical techniques that are applied in battery material analysis:

• Mass spectrometry, as ICP-OES & ICP-MS, GC-MS, IC-MS
• X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
• Electron microscopy (SEM & TEM)
• Molecular spectroscopy, as FTIR, Raman and NIR
• Micro-computed tomography (microCT)
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
• X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence
• rheometry, viscometry, and extrusion.

Interested in learning more about current challenges in lithium-ion battery manufacturing and quality analysis? Then read our blog: 

• Challenges in Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing and Quality Analysis - Part 1
• Challenges in Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing and Quality Analysis - Part 2

Additional resources

Webinar: Powering Up Battery Materials Analysis using ICP-OES and ICP-MS

Website: Elemental Analysis Solutions for Battery Material Testing

Website: Battery technology research enhanced with electron microscopy and spectroscopy

Blog Post: Is Battery Technology Just All About Lithium?