Agilent Solutions for Lithium-Ion Battery Industry

Significance of the Topic

The rapid expansion of the lithium-ion battery industry drives demand for reliable analytical testing to ensure material quality, safety and performance. Comprehensive chemical and physicochemical analysis is critical from raw material qualification through cell manufacturing to end-of-life recycling.

Objectives and Study Overview

This application note surveys Agilent’s analytical solutions for the Li-ion battery sector. It outlines methods for element, molecular and gas analysis, highlighting capabilities in quality control of key battery components (cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator) and in recovery of valuable metals from spent cells.

Methodology and Instrumentation

A multi-technique approach addresses diverse analytical needs:

• Atomic spectroscopy (ICP-OES, AA, ICP-MS) for determination of macro elements (Li, Co, Ni, Mn) and trace impurities (Cu, Mg, Cd, Pb) in battery materials and recycled leachates.
• Molecular spectroscopy (UV-Vis, FTIR) for anion and functional group assays in lithium salts, solvents, additives and separator films.
• Gas analysis (micro-GC) for rapid quantitation of cell off-gassing and swelling gases (H2, O2, CO, CO2, hydrocarbons).
• Chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC, GC/MS, LC/Q-TOF, GC/Q-TOF) for profiling organic solvents, additives and unknown degradation products using advanced data-analysis software.

Used Instrumentation

• Agilent 5800/5900 ICP-OES with cooled-cone interface and fitted background correction for robust multi-element assays in complex matrices.
• Agilent 7800/7900 ICP-MS with high/ultra-high matrix introduction for direct analysis of ≥1% TDS digests.
• Agilent Cary 60 UV-Vis and Cary 630 FTIR for rapid identification and quantitation of anions and molecular species.
• Agilent 990 Micro GC for field-deployable, high-speed gas composition analysis.
• Agilent 8890/Intuvo GC coupled with 5977B MS and MassHunter suite for targeted and untargeted organic profiling.
• Agilent 6545 LC/Q-TOF and 7250 GC/Q-TOF with MSC, MFE and MPP software for high-resolution structural elucidation of unknown compounds.

Main Results and Discussion

ICP-OES delivered high linear dynamic ranges and automatic interference correction, achieving 90–110% recoveries for trace and major elements in lithium manganese cobalt oxide and hexafluorophosphate electrolyte. ICP-MS with UHMI analyzed digests (0.5–1% TDS) directly, with spike recoveries above 90% and RSD below 1%. Micro GC quantified nine gas species within minutes, enabling monitoring of cell aging and swelling. GC/MS and Q-TOF methods provided precise quantitation of common solvents and additives and facilitated discovery of unknown degradation products through automated deconvolution and database matching.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Reduced sample preparation and dilution steps lower contamination risk and increase throughput.
• Smart diagnostic tools and software-driven interference correction maximize instrument uptime.
• End-to-end quality assurance from raw material screening to recycled metal quantitation.
• Actionable data for R&D, formulation optimization, failure analysis and regulatory compliance.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Integration of real-time, high-matrix-tolerance instrumentation with AI-powered data analytics will enable predictive process control in battery manufacturing. Portable analytical platforms and enhanced high-resolution workflows will support on-site monitoring and expedite development of next-generation high-energy, long-life and higher-safety lithium-ion systems.

Conclusion

Agilent’s comprehensive portfolio of spectroscopy, chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry solutions delivers robust, accurate and efficient analytical workflows for the lithium-ion battery industry, supporting quality control, research innovation and sustainable recycling practices.