Beneath The Surface: X-ray Analyses of Battery Materials and Structures 5. Non-Destructive Elemental Analysis of Batteries Using XRF

Did you know you can non-destructively analyze the elemental composition of various battery components using the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique? 

XRF does not require the digestion of samples. You can analyze powder and solid samples with minimal to no sample preparation and gain their elemental composition ranging in levels from ppm to percent. Wavelength dispersive XRF (WDXRF) spectrometers can analyze from beryllium to curium. Energy dispersive XRF (EDXRF) is cost-effective and fast, making it ideal for the analyses required for recycling and recovering raw materials. The fundamental parameter method enables standardless semi-quantitative analysis, while the conventional calibration method using standards can provide more accurate results, depending on the accuracy requirements.

XRF is perfect for quantifying the main elements of NCM (nickel, cobalt, and manganese) in the cathode, as well as impurities or foreign materials in coatings and the carbon anode. Appropriate sample preparation methods allow air and humidity-sensitive materials to be analyzed easily. 

In this webinar, you will learn how to prepare different types of battery samples for WDXRF elemental analysis and see various application examples, as well as the use of EDXRF for the recycling of lithium battery black mass.