The complexity of lithium-ion battery analysis stems from the materials involved, their interactions under different conditions, and the need to understand performance, degradation, and failure at every stage of the battery lifecycle. This article draws from discussions with Dr. Sascha Nowak from the MEET Battery Research Center, in the Powering Through the Complexity of Lithium Ion Battery Analysis webinar and executive summary, and explores the expanding role of elemental analysis in modern battery research and manufacturing.
Addressing Analytical Challenges Across the Battery Lifecycle
Rising demand for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) across portable electronics, electric vehicles, and energy storage has intensified the need for advanced quality control across the entire supply chain. Elemental analysis supports each stage of the battery value chain, providing essential data for verifying raw material quality, controlling process impurities, and informing recycling strategies.
These techniques contribute to:
- Ensuring the composition and consistency of raw and refined materials
- Controlling impurity levels in cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes
- Supporting formulation optimization to extend cycle life and safety
- Enabling process control and regulatory compliance in recycling
As battery technologies evolve, integrating robust analytical strategies becomes essential to maintaining quality and driving innovation across the full battery lifecycle.
ICP-Based Technologies: From R&D to Recycling
Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) are core technologies for lithium ion battery analysis:
- ICP-OES delivers routine, high-throughput analysis with robust matrix tolerance, ideal for monitoring impurity levels in cathode materials and electrolytes.
- ICP-MS provides ultra-trace sensitivity and is well-suited for detecting aging-related species, such as metal migration products and electrolyte degradation compounds.
Both technologies are used throughout the battery lifecycle to support material characterization, performance tracking, and regulatory monitoring in modern battery testing environments.
These capabilities are applied in a variety of advanced battery testing scenarios, including:
- Evaluating metal content in lithium brines and multimetallic cathode blends
- Screening degradation pathways through electrolyte composition changes
- Tracking lithium distribution and transition metal migration over charge-discharge cycles
- Supporting emission compliance from battery factory effluents
Together, these ICP-based techniques provide essential diagnostic insight, helping researchers and manufacturers develop safer, longer-lasting, and more efficient lithium-ion batteries.
Sample Preparation and Workflow Optimization
Effective battery analysis begins with rigorous sample preparation. Several preparation strategies were emphasized in the webinar, including:
- Microwave digestion of electrode materials and electrolytes
- Sample extraction using supercritical CO2 and solvent recovery
- Contamination control via glovebox tools, ceramic tools, and optimized digestion reagents
Challenges such as matrix interference, moisture sensitivity, and standard compatibility were also covered, with emphasis on the importance of internal standards, calibration strategies, and long-term instrument stability.
Practical Applications: Aging and Recycling
Practical applications of elemental analysis were explored to demonstrate how these techniques address key challenges in lithium-ion battery performance and recyclability:
- Battery Aging: Techniques such as laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) enable spatial mapping of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese distributions, providing insights into lithium loss, metal migration, and SEI degradation.
- Electrolyte Decomposition: Coupled chromatography and ICP-MS systems allow for the quantification of organophosphate and organofluorophosphate degradation products, even without reference standards.
- Battery Recycling: Anode and cathode materials were analyzed before and after purification using single and triple quadrupole ICP-MS systems. These workflows demonstrated spike recoveries of 84–105% and long-term stability over 9-hour runs.
- Brine Analysis: ICP-OES was used to measure lithium and impurities in high-salinity samples with stable recoveries and minimal drift over 11 hours.
These examples demonstrate how adaptable and precise elemental techniques are when applied to real-world battery research, helping researchers generate actionable insights into degradation pathways, recovery efficiency, and long-term material performance.
Advanced Testing: Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS for High-Matrix Battery Materials
For high-matrix cathode samples, the iCAP TQe ICP-MS was highlighted for its ability to mitigate spectral interference. By enabling both on-mass and mass-shift measurement modes, triple quadrupole technology improved quantification accuracy for challenging elements in battery testing workflows, reinforcing its role in high-precision impurity profiling and material certification, including arsenic, phosphorus, sulfur, and selenium in cathode blends.
Final Thoughts on Lithium-Ion Battery Analysis
Elemental analysis is indispensable for advancing lithium-ion battery performance, safety, and sustainability. From evaluating aging mechanisms and impurity profiles to certifying the purity of recycled materials and lithium brines, ICP-OES and ICP-MS are foundational tools. Their evolving capabilities—supported by optimized sample prep and workflow automation—position them at the center of modern battery analysis and battery testing workflows across research, production, and recycling environments.
Meet the Expert
Dr. Sascha Nowak is Head of the Division of Analytics and Environment at the MEET Battery Research Center, University of Münster. With a PhD in analytical chemistry, Dr. Nowak has spent over a decade researching lithium-ion battery aging, degradation, and recycling. He leads innovative studies on battery materials analysis and is passionate about advancing sustainable battery technologies. His work bridges fundamental science and real-world applications, helping manufacturers optimize performance and recycling processes through advanced analytical methods.