SEM-EDX ANALYSIS OF BATTERY POWDER
Quality Control Protects Against Contamination in Battery Production
Powder Impurities
High Risk for Battery Safety
Conductive contaminate particles pose a high risk to the operational safety of the lithium battery. Larger particles can penetrate the separator and cause an electrical short circuit between the anode and cathode. But even smaller contaminations have a negative impact on the battery's life time. In particular, copper and other mobile metals grow through the separator in the form of microscopic dendrites and cause a local micro short circuit.
The reliable detection of impurities in the primary powder is an essential factor in improving battery safety. For this purpose, the GB/T 41704-2022 standard was introduced in China. This standard recommends the automated analysis of battery powders using SEM-EDX as a test method.
Conductive foreign particles
The risk of battery failure increases with the size and conductivity of the foreign particles. Typical risk classes are contaminants made of copper, iron and zinc. Automatic EDX analysis enables precise determination of the material.
electrical conductivity of copper σ = 58.1 MS/m
→ highest risk of short circuit
electrical conductivity of iron σ = 10.0 MS/m
→ Risk particles in LFP powder
electrical conductivity of zinc σ = 16.7 MS/m
Phenom ParticleX
Developed for Fast Powder Analysis
For the rapid SEM-EDX analysis of foreign particles in battery powders, the sample only needs to be prepared on a suitable substrate (by vacuum filtration or air dispersion). The ParticleX operates in low vacuum to prevent charging during imaging. This eliminates the need for the annoying coating of the sample. In addition,
Automatic Reporting
The Perception software automatically creates reports after the measurement. The histogram provides an overview of the size and material of the foreign particles and enables a quick risk assessment. Limit values for evaluation can easily be stored.
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