Materials Australia Magazine | June 2021 | Volume 54 | No.2

Page 35

Characterising Battery Materials with Benchtop NMR Source: Dr. Cameron Chai and Peter Airey, AXT PTY LTD

Benchtop NMR is an ideal technique for research into battery materials and quality control of battery raw materials. With the ability to quantify key material concentrations in minutes, we can rapidly gain an understanding of factors affecting performance and properties of electrolytes. This information can be highly beneficial in accelerating development programs and ensuring optimal quality of final products in manufacturing. The X-Pulse broadband benchtop NMR is a powerful instrument with a wide range of applications pertaining to battery technology. These benchtop systems supersede the massive systems that used to require highly skilled operators and can perform the same high-field NMR experiments at a fraction of the cost. The X-Pulse can resolve complex proton spectra at 60MHz field strength thanks to its better than 0.35 Hz spectral resolution at the half-height of a peak. It is unique in that it is the only benchtop NMR instrument with built-in broadband multinuclear capability,

allowing users to collect spectra from the wide range of nuclei present in electrolytes, including carbon, hydrogen, sodium, boron, phosphorus, fluorine, and lithium at temperatures from 20 to 60°C.

Using NMR for Battery Electrolyte Analysis Batteries typically have a cathode and anode separated by an electrolyte. The electrolyte is dissolved in an organic solvent such as dimethyl carbonate and ethylene carbonate and may incorporate additives to enhance performance. NMR helps the understanding of battery performance by:

> Monitoring electrolyte breakdown reactions to better understand their processes which directly affects lifespan

NMR in Quality Control of Battery Materials By way of example, a client was supplied with 2 solvents, apparently with the same chemistry and performance, however, testing revealed otherwise, except the reasons for this were unknown.

> Measuring the transference numbers of those electrolytes and ionic conductivity by determining the diffusion coefficients of the various species in the electrolytes

Hydrogen NMR did not reveal any discernable differences that would affect performance. Fluorine spectra, aimed at understanding the electrolyte anion coming from hexafluorophosphate lithium salt was collected and one sample displayed a doublet on the coupled spectrum. A different doublet attributed to decomposition was also observed at a different frequency. The likely cause was breakdown of the salt by hydrolysis.

> Verifying raw materials purity to benchmark electrolytes

With this knowledge the client was able to take remedial action.

> Quantifying the salt and additive concentration in electrolytes to better understand energy density and to develop higher power density formulations


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Articles inside

Through The Looking Glass A Transparent Look at Glass Science

35min
pages 50-61

Materials Australia - Short Courses www.materialsaustralia.com.au/training/online-training

3min
page 62

The Australian National University

11min
pages 42-45

Breaking News

12min
pages 46-49

Rapid 3D Printer Settings Development Using AI

4min
page 41

Research on Additive Manufacturing at UQ

3min
page 40

Simulating the Friction of Lubricants and Materials with a High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig

12min
pages 36-39

Characterising Battery Materials with Benchtop NMR

2min
page 35

How Smooth is Your Surface?

3min
pages 32-33

High Flux X-ray Diffraction for Materials Analysis

2min
page 34

Sunlight To Solve The World’s Clean Water Crisis

3min
page 30

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the World Leader in Serving Science

3min
page 31

Distance Control in 3D Printing

1min
page 29

UQ Technology Powers Up Greener Alternative to Lithium Ion in Brisbane Manufacturing Deal

3min
page 28

CMatP Profile: Dr Antonella Sola

6min
pages 20-21

Professor Veena Sahajwalla

6min
pages 24-25

Why You Should Become a CMatP

2min
page 23

Victoria and Tasmania Branch Report

3min
page 18

Materials Forum 2021

4min
page 19

QLD Branch Report

4min
page 17

NSW Branch Report - 13 April 2021

4min
page 14

SA Branch Report - 5 May 2021

2min
page 16

WA Branch Technical Meeting - 12 April 2021

5min
page 10

From the President

4min
page 3

WA Branch Technical Meeting - 10 May 2021

3min
page 12

Phase Transformations and Microstructural Evolution in Additive Manufacturing

3min
page 15

WA Branch Technical Meeting - 8 March 2021

3min
page 8
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.