Enhance your battery research and manufacturing with Smart Analytics

Large-scale battery manufacturing is complex, requiring accurate, reliable, and automated tools. Malvern Panalytical offers tailored analytical solutions for the battery industry, providing high-quality material analysis in both laboratory and manufacturing settings.

 

Explore our solutions below or arrange a  personalized discussion with our specialists.

Step into the future of battery manufacturing with unparalleled efficiency and precision. Navigating the complexities of large-scale battery production demands a strategic blend of accuracy, reliability, and automation.

At Malvern Panalytical, we usher in a new era of innovation with smart analytics designed to enhance every facet of your battery manufacturing process. Our tailored analytical solutions stand as a testament to our commitment, delivering high-quality material analysis seamlessly integrated into both laboratory research and manufacturing environments.

As we redefine the landscape of the battery industry, experience the transformative power of smart analytics with Malvern Panalytical—where precision meets progress.

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Active electrode materials

Active Electrode Materials and Precursors

Particle Size and Shape

Whether you produce your own active materials or you buy it from your suppliers, particle size and shape are the defining parameters not only for the battery performance, but also for the uninterrupted high yield production process. Particle size and shape govern the production yield of precursor materials, the rheology of the electrode slurry, packing density / porosity of the electrode coating, and ultimately the performance of the battery. Best way to measure these is with a combination of laser diffraction and automated optical imaging.

 

 
Mastersizer 3000+ Pro 0

Mastersizer Range

Delivering the data you need for outcomes you can trust

The Mastersizer range of laser diffraction particle size analyzers set the standard for delivering rapid, accurate particle size distributions.

With its wide size range and best-in-class accuracy, you can be confident in your results. And if you get unexpected results, you have the tools you need to investigate. Add in flexibility, ease of use, and additional accessories for dynamic imaging, and the Mastersizer truly is the top choice for particle sizing and beyond.

 

Insitec

Insitec is the preferred choice when it comes to process control with online particle size analysis, both in dry powder and in a slurry (wet) dispersion. In the production of CAM, Insitec can continuously monitor the evolution of particle size of precursor materials in the reactor tank, or it can be used to control the milling / Sieving of precursor and final cathode material. Likewise, it can be used to control the particle size of LiOH, LiCO3, graphite or Silicon active materials during the production process.

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Morphologi 4 (ID)

Morphologi 4(ID)

Morphologi 4 (ID) is an automated imaging system that can sample ~100,000 particles to provide statistically relevant information on particle shape and size from 0.5μm onwards. In battery production, the desired particle shape is spherical, both for cathode and anode materials. Morphologi 4 can measure even the slightest deviation from sphericity to provide you with valuable information for process optimization.

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Hydro Insight

Hydro Insight

Hydro Insight is a dynamic imaging system that can be combined with Mastersizer 3000 to provide information on particle shape to compliment the size analysis from laser diffraction. Hydro Insight can measure particles 5μm onwards for shape analysis and 1μm onward for size analysis.

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Zetasizer

Zetasizer measures particle size based on dynamic light scattering and is suitable for nano-particles size measurement.

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Crystal Phase

The quality of the crystal phase is another critical parameter that governs the performance of battery materials like specific energy and discharge rate or capacity. For Cathode active materials, important parameters of concern are cation mixing and crystallite size, while for graphite anode, it is degree of graphitization (or graphiticity) in synthetic graphite and orientation index in the coated electrode. Crystallite size can also give an idea about particle size of nano-crystalline active materials like silicon-based anode. If you are working on single crystal cathode materials, then measurement of crystallite size becomes even more critical.

 
Aeris XRD

Aeris XRD

The future is compact

Aeris XRD can analyse anode and cathode materials in just a few minutes to provide quality parameters like crystallite size, cation mixing, graphitization degree and orientation index. This is a compact plug and play XRD system, built with industrial robustness and safety. Moreover, it can be easily integrated to the process with belt or robot automation.

 

Elemental Composition

For cathode active materials and their precursors, having correct elemental composition is equally important. Also important are the dopant and impurity concentrations both for the cathode and anode materials. ICP is a common way of measuring elemental composition, however, it is expensive, time consuming and involves hazardous chemicals. XRF can analyse most of these materials with relative ease.

 
Revontium

Revontium

Compact brilliance, powerful analysis, endless possibilities

Revontium™ is a compact X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer that delivers high-quality elemental analysis in a compact, tabletop format. It bridges the performance of floor-standing XRF and the versatility of table-top instruments.

Compact XRF offers a smaller physical and environmental footprint. Its cost of ownership can be more than 25% lower due to reduced need for consumables, extensive sample preparation, and maintenance.

 

Epsilon 4

Epsilon

Epsilon 4, a compact EDXRF that can analyse elements from F to Am. This can be placed close to the process for faster process control. While major elements (like Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, P) can be analysed with very high accuracy, the impurity profiling is possible down to few ppm levels.

Zetium

Zetium

Zetium WDXRF is the preferred choice when higher accuracy on light elements is desired. Zetium is also equipped with large autosampler, suitable for high throughput environment.

Epsilon Xflow

Epsilon XFlow

Epsilon Xflow is the online EDXRF to analyse elemental composition of liquid precursors. This can be used to directly control the elemental composition in the precursor mix.

NCM CRMs

NCM CRMs

NCM CRMs, are the traceable certified reference materials supplied by Malvern Panalytical to calibrate CRF for NCM cathode materials, to obtain high accuracy analysis.

 

 

Electrode coating

Electrode Coating

Molecular weight of Polymer binder: Molecular weight and structure of PVDF and other polymers used as binder in electrode slurry impact the slurry viscosity and the stability of the coated electrodes. Because these properties can significantly vary batch-to-batch, it is vital that they are fully characterised to understand and control the batch-to-batch variations in the battery performance. Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) / Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) is the standard technique to characterize the polymer properties like molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity and structure / branching.

OMNISEC

OMNISEC

Malvern Panalytical OMNISEC is a Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) / Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) system for the measurement of absolute molecular weight, molecular size, intrinsic viscosity, branching and other parameters. It includes OMNISEC RESOLVE, the integrated GPC/SEC module, OMNISEC REVEAL, the integrated multi-detector module and OMNISEC software for the characterization of synthetic and natural polymers, and proteins.

Particle orientation in graphite anode: Ease of Li ion insertion in graphite anode also depends on the orientation of graphite particles. For least resistance, the c-axis should lie in the surface plane. Out of plane c-axis orientation leads to higher resistance. Average particle orientation can be measured using XRD.

Online XRD

Online XRD

Online XRD, can measure orientation index right after calendaring. Depending on the coating line width coating rate, Malvern Panalytical can customize the online XRD solution specifically tailored for your process. Online XRD can provide orientation index every 2 mins to ensure consistent quality during the coating process.

Elemental composition and thickness

Elemental Composition and thickness

Epsilon Xline is an online XRF to measure elemental composition and thickness. Depending on the coating line width coating rate, Malvern Panalytical can customize the online XRF solution specifically tailored for your process.

 

Battery Cell in-operando Analysis

Cell stability with formation and aging: As the cell is cycled during formation and aging, electrode active materials undergo changes due to movement of Li ions and also due to the reaction with electrolyte at higher potentials. In-operando XRD can track these changes at atomic scale and can provide an early warning for any potential issues with the battery cell.
 

Online XRD

Empyrean XRD

Empyrean XRD, can measure battery cells in-operando under simulated environmental conditions from -10C to 70C. With its renowned VTEC and VTEC-Trans stages, it can measure both the coin and the pouch / prismatic cell configurations. Combined with ultrafast hardware components and automated data analysis, Empyrean offers an innovative solution for both R&D as well as QC of fully assembled cells. 

 

From automated instruments to the automated lab

To maximize efficiency, it’s far more time- and cost-effective to create a holistic system that offers end-to-end automation. From sample announcement and preparation to analysis and reporting, a fully automated laboratory can standardize processes, return results faster, and provide much higher up-time compared with a traditional lab. Expert staff can focus on other work unless there is a problem to solve, which also removes human error from the results.

Automated Laboratory Solutions

Automated Laboratory Solutions for Enhanced Sample Transport and Analysis. The benefits of these solutions are exponentially increased when applied in high-volume, industrial, or complex environments. Malvern Panalytical offers completely customizable laboratory automation solutions to fit any need. Multiple analysis techniques can be integrated into the automated laboratory for a complete characterization of samples, and the product is always designed with the customer to ensure a perfect fit for their application.
 

Online XRD

You are digitally covered

Most our instruments are digitally connected on our proprietary smart analytics clouds. Our dedicated team of experts monitors the health of the instrument and corrective actions are initiated long before any unexpected breakdown. This ensures that your process is not interrupted due to the problems with the analytical instrumentation.


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