Resolving Li-Ion Battery Electrode Particles Using Rapid Lab-Based X-Ray Nano-Computed Tomography for High-Throughput...

Vast quantities of powder leave production lines each day, often with strict control measures. For quality checks to provide the most value, they must be capable of screening individual particles in 3D and at high throughput. Conceptually, X-ray computed tomography (CT) is capable of this; however, achieving lab-based reconstructions of individual particles has, until now, relied upon scan-times on the order of tens of hours, or even days, and although synchrotron facilities are potentially capable of faster scanning times, availability is limited, making in-line product analysis impractical. This work describes a preparation method and high-throughput scanning procedure for the 3D characterization of powder samples in minutes using nano-CT by full-filed transmission X-ray microscopy with zone-plate focusing optics. This is demonstrated on various particle morphologies from two next-generation lithium-ion battery cathodes: LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ and LiNi_0.6Mn_0.2Co_0.2O₂; namely, NMC811 and NMC622. Internal voids are detected which limit energy density and promote degradation, potentially impacting commercial application such as the drivable range of an electric vehicle.