EC-MS Premium - analyze battery gases
Analyze battery gas formation and degradition effortless for battery research and development
Real-time gas analysis
The EC-MS Premium gives you the ability to determine the origin and the nature of the gas-evolution, enabling a better understanding of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase formation and degradation of Electrodes and electrolytes. This accelerates the development of new and safer batteries with a shorter time to market.
Employing Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry facilitates the real-time analysis of gas production in battery studies. This technique allows researchers, especially from r&d, to analyse battery gases and pinpoint the source and characteristics of gas emissions, enhancing comprehension of how Solid Electrolyte Interphase is formed and the breakdown of electrodes and electrolytes occurs. Consequently, this insight speeds up the creation of newer, safer battery technologies, leading to a reduced time before they can be brought to market.
Fully quantifiable
Full product collection and accurate calibration
Exceptional sensitivity
Measure desorption of 0.5‰ of a monolayer within 0.5 second
Continuous data
Small volume sampling allows uninterrupted data collection
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Do not hesitate to contact us for a quotation or a talk and presentation of our product
Accelerate battery research
To accelerate the development of better and safer lithium-ion batteries, the EC-MS Premium aids in determining the nature and origin of gas-evolution. It facilitates a deeper understanding of formation of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) and insight into the degradation of electrodes and electrolytes.
The combination of electrochemistry (EC) and mass spectrometry (MS) provides a potent tool to analyze product formation in batteries. Via an optimized inlet membrane chip with an integrated microcapillary, Spectro Inlets offers a unique system to couple the ambient battery environment with the vacuum conditions of MS. This solution enables continuous transport of volatiles to the mass spectrometer while inhibiting electrolyte evaporation.
Advantages
Real-time and fully quantifiable
Unprecedented sensitivity
Transfer module for inert sample transfer from glovebox
Temperature control of the cell (15-70 °C)
Turnkey solution with integrated software
Negligible electrolyte evaporation allowing long duration test
Challenges for Li-ion batteries
❶ Highly reactive
Li may spontaneously react with
electrolytes, metals and H 2 O/O 2 traces etc lowering ion
availability and conductivity, reducing battery efficiency
and life time
❷ Non uniform SEI growth
forming dendrites, may
adversely i) insulate Li ii) expand SEI volume (lowering
power density) iii) create a short circuit (a serious safety
issue) through the separator material, see figure below
❸ Instabile SEI-bilding
resulting in i) additional SEI
growth accompanied by electrolyte decomposition and
gas evolution ii) Li passivation and iii) increased
resistances through a growing SEI
Gas evolution accompanies all processes mentioned in
issues ❶ to ❸ Hence, on line g as analysis combined
with electrochemical data acquisition may provide battery
researchers with important information about SEI
formation, electrolyte decomposition and the role of the
H 2 O/O 2 content in the battery Thus, the EC MS Premium
can provide valuable insights for developing better and
safer Li-ion or other types of batteries
These scientific challenges result in these more practical challenges:
Battery Capacity is fundamentally about the energy a battery can hold and release, with increasing this capacity being a key focus in research to boost energy density and device runtime. Enhancing this involves overcoming hurdles like creating batteries with higher energy densities for more compact and efficient storage, and discovering materials that can efficiently store ions and electrons.
Cycle Life reflects the battery’s durability across charge and discharge cycles before performance decline. Challenges include electrode material degradation, electrolyte deterioration leading to gas release, and the importance of thermal management to prolong cycle efficiency.
Safety is critical, with risks such as battery swelling from gas evolution. Research also navigates contamination risks from impurities affecting battery integrity.
Cost and Sustainability are vital for adoption, facing challenges in finding cost-effective, eco-friendly materials and refining manufacturing for less environmental impact.
How it works
The EC-MS Premium gives you the ability to determine the origin and the nature of the gas-evolution, enabling a better understanding of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) formation and degradation of electrode and electrolytes. This accelerates the development of new and safer batteries with a shorter time to market. Combining electrochemistry (EC) with mass spectrometry (MS) provides a strong tool for analyzing electrochemical product formation in batteries.
Through an optimized membrane chip with integrated microcapillary, Spectro Inlets offer a unique inlet coupling the ambient battery environment to the vacuum conditions of the MS. The hydrophobic membrane facilitates transport of volatiles to MS while inhibiting electrolyte evaporation.
Things that can be analyzed with the EC-MS Premium
Thermal Runaway
Thermal Runaway is a dangerous condition in batteries where excessive heat generation leads to a self-sustaining, uncontrolled temperature and pressure increase, potentially causing battery failure or explosion.
Battery Gassing
Analyzing battery gases is about the release of gases from a battery, usually due to electrolysis, which can indicate overcharging, degradation, or internal faults.
Analysis of Lithium-ion Batteries
The study of lithium-ion batteries focusing on their performance, aging mechanisms, and safety aspects through various analytical techniques.
Battery Gas Evolution
Battery Gas evolution is the process by which gases are produced within a battery, often during charging or discharging, which can affect performance and safety.
Battery Electrolyte Solution
A conductive medium within batteries that allows for the flow of ions between the anode and cathode, essential for battery operation.
Types of batteries where research can make use of the EC-MS Premium
- Lithium-Ion Batteries (Li-ion): These are widely used in portable electronics, electric vehicles, and renewable energy applications due to their high energy density and longevity. They come in several chemistries including lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA).
- Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries (LiFePO4).
- Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH).
- Nickel-Cadmium Batteries (NiCd).
- Lead-Acid Batteries.
- Sodium-Ion Batteries.
- Flow Batteries.
Who could typical be the user of the EC-MS Premium?
The typical user of the EC-MS Premium is an industrial R&D lab experimenting with new battery chemistries, including but not limited to Li-ion, Na-ion and Li-air chemistries. They will use the EC-MS Premium to investigate solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation and stability, gas evolution from new electrode materials at high voltages or when using new electrolytes (or electrolyte additives). Such a lab can be positioned in different positions along the value chain – material developers (electrode materials and electrolytes), cell manufacturers (if they also work on development of chemistries themselves) as well as some large end-customers for their R&D in-house labs (e.g. car manufacturers). As the SEI formation is temperature dependent and comes with temperature changes, temperature monitoring and control are important for the users. Other important features of the EC-MS are the high sensitivity, the possibility of directly placing non-aqueous electrolytes on the chip, the possibility to program automated procedures in the software, and the low evaporation rate of the electrolyte.
Comparing our products
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No differential pumping |
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Fast gas switching (4 different gasses) |
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For electrochemistry research |
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Non-aqueous media |
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Aqueous media |
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EC-MS electrochemistry cell (stagnant thin-layer cell) |
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Fully integrated software |
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Sub-second timeresponse |
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Full collection of volatiles |
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Quantification |
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Isotope labelling |
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Nano fabricated membrane chip |
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Battery research (limited - when no inert conditions are required) |
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Battery research (full) |
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EC-MS battery cell (coin cell) |
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Transfer module |
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Inert sample transfer |
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Temperature monitoring |
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Temperature regulation |
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Publications about Li-ion battery research and Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry
Daisy B. Thornton, Bethan J. V. Davies, Soren B. Scott, Ainara Aguadero, Mary P. Ryan, Ifan E. L. Stephens (2023).
Probing Degradation in Lithium Ion Batteries with On-Chip Electrochemistry Mass Spectrometry
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202315357
Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, e202315357, A Journal of the German Chemical Society
Roy, K., Rana, A., Heil, J. N., Tackett, B. M., & Dick, J. E. (2024). For Zinc Metal Batteries, How Many Electrons go to Hydrogen Evolution? An Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry Study. doi:10.1002/anie.202319010
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, e202319010.
Related to the EC-MS Premium for Battery research
Conferences about battery research that we are attending:
Faraday Institution Conference 2024, 10-12 september, Newcastle (UK)
Meet us and our exhibition at the conference.
The Faraday Conference 2024 is set to be a significant event in the field of energy storage, focusing on advancements and breakthroughs in battery technology. Scheduled from September 10 to 12, 2024, in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, the conference is hosted by the Faraday Institution and Newcastle University, highlighting the region’s evolving activity in vehicle and battery manufacture, research, and electrification. This event is the largest and most open science dissemination conference of its kind to date, expected to attract over 500 delegates from academia, industry, policy making, and funding bodies from the UK and internationally (The Faraday Institution) (Cambridge Energy).
The conference theme, “The Battery Breakthrough: From Research, to Scale-up, to Manufacturing,” aims to cover the latest global research in battery technology, emphasizing the visibility of UK scientific excellence in energy storage. Participants will often be from research and development and can expect multiple parallel sessions, poster presentations, exhibition stands, and ample networking opportunities. It’s an excellent opportunity for researchers, scientists, engineers, and professionals working in or interested in the energy storage sector to engage, share insights, and foster collaborations (The Faraday Institution).
Keynote speakers include prominent figures such as Professor Sir Peter Bruce FRS, Chief Scientist of the Faraday Institution and Wolfson Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford; Professor Kristin Persson, Daniel M. Tellep Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley; and Professor Shinichi Komaba, Professor of Applied Chemistry at Tokyo University (Cambridge Energy).
The conference calls for abstract submissions across various scientific themes, including Battery Safety, Materials, Electrode and Battery Characterisation, Modelling and Engineering, Next Generation Chemistries and Technologies, Recycling and Re-use, and Sustainability (Cambridge Energy).
See more about the EC-MS
Interested?
Do not hesitate to contact us for a quotation or a talk and presentation of our product