Determining Lithium Content by the Composition by Difference Method

Lithium (Li)-ion batteries have been adopted for a wide range of energy storage applications due to their outstanding energy density and low mass compared to other technologies. However, there remains considerable scope for energy capacity and efficiency improvements by optimizing devices and materials used in their construction. In particular, microstructural and compositional analysis has proven challenging at the micro- and nano-scales with structure evolution and degradation mechanisms due to lack of understooding at these length scales. In this webinar, we introduce a new technique that offers the potential to recharge research of Li-ion batteries, as well as Li alloys used in aerospace applications—the lithium composition by difference method (Li-CDM). For the first time, we demonstrate the microscale lithium distribution quantitatively from a range of lithium compounds and alloys. Going forward, this new characterization method looks set to play a vital role in lithium materials research.