Improving the performance of Li-ion batteries

Working with Waters Corporation and Oxford Instruments, Chemistry World has put together a collection of application notes and white papers that provide expert insight on factors influencing lithium ion battery performance.

We look at a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) based solution for automatic detection and identification of impurities in battery raw material powders – helping to identify and solve the problems that contaminants cause in finish products.

Optimising the cathode material is an area of key interest for the current generation of Li-ion battery technologies as even small changes to the cathode can have large overall effects on the battery. We demonstrate how it is possible to link the ongoing performance of the cathode material with the microstructure using grain size and texture information acquired from NCM (nickel, cobalt, manganese) cathode material using electron backscatter diffraction.

Finally, to improve overall performance, all aspects of the battery device need to be understood and optimised. Atomic force microscopes (AFMs) provide a way to visualise battery materials at micro and nanometer resolutions in order to evaluate their texture and morphology–to better understand, for example, how their processing can impact performance. We share examples of how AFMs can be used to evaluate materials from different parts of the battery cell to provide critical information in improving their overall performance.