X‑ray Micro-Computed Tomography for Structural Analysis of All-Solid-State Battery at Pouch Cell Level

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Battery Technology

Background:

• Advancing all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) requires understanding microstructural evolution during fabrication and operation.
• Scaling ASSBs to pouch cell levels presents challenges for traditional microstructural analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography (sXCT) as a powerful tool for characterizing ASSB microstructures.
• To demonstrate sXCT's capability in analyzing large-scale microstructural features in ASSB pouch cells.

Main Methods:

• Utilized synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography (sXCT) for rapid (<30 min), high-resolution, nondestructive imaging.
• Analyzed key microstructural features: overhang, porosity, contact loss, active surface area, and tortuosity.
• Employed a large field of view (up to millimeters) for industry-relevant scale analysis.

Main Results:

• sXCT effectively visualized and quantified critical microstructural features in all-solid-state pouch cells.
• Demonstrated the technique's applicability to industry-relevant scales, bridging research and commercialization.
• Identified potential for integrating sXCT data into multiphysics simulations for degradation analysis.

Conclusions:

• sXCT is an indispensable tool for advancing the understanding and engineering of next-generation ASSBs.
• The technique facilitates detailed analysis of microstructural evolution in large-scale ASSB pouch cells.
• Future integration with simulations can enhance the design of robust and high-performance ASSBs.