Measurement and Characterization of Li-Ion Battery Single Particles

One of the challenges in correlating Li-ion battery performance with structure is the fact that most measurements provide average properties that are difficult to correlate with local microstructure.  We approach this challenge by electrochemical cycling of single particles upon which detailed characterization can be carried out before and after various periods of cycling.  The electrochemical cycling of single particles shows the same characteristic signatures as those observed in measurement of coin cells, confirming the validity of these measurements to global behavior.  By using a measurement platform compatible with a variety of microstructural characterization approaches, we are able to characterize single particles at various points in cycling, providing an improved opportunity to correlate changes in structure with changes in electrochemical performance. This presentation will detail our approach and the insights gained from these correlated measurements.

*Research sponsored by the U.S. DOE, Office of Science and by the U.S. DOE, EERE – Vehicle Technologies Program, under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. The Electron Microscopy Center is supported by the Office of Science.