Quality Assurance for Battery Cells with Electrodes

Batteries are energy dense objects, and like the fuel in conventional vehicles safety needs to be managed to protect the end user. Electrical shorting between anode and cathode can lead to thermal runaway and combustion – so the microscale properties of assembled cells can give insights into designing safer high performance batteries.
Prior to cutting or disassembly, ZEISS X-ray microscopes can give internal 3D microstructure, show bending of current collectors and potential separator pinch points, as well as particle contamination which may lead to lithium dendrite formation. Shock and nail penetration tests use light microscopy to investigate potential failure modes following accident or collision. Charge and discharge behaviour, swelling & dendrite formation can be observed using in-situ microscopy methods.