Quantifying Galvanic Corrosion Kinetics across Battery Pack Busbar Terminations
Galvanic corrosion kinetics at battery busbar joints depend on potential offsets, area ratios, and moisture film thickness, requiring controlled plating barriers.
Micro XRF Spectroscopy
Meaning
Non-destructive elemental analysis uses a focused beam of X-rays to excite atoms and measure the resulting fluorescent radiation at a microscopic scale. Micro xrf spectroscopy allows for the mapping of elemental distribution across the surface of battery electrodes or separators. This technique provides high spatial resolution, enabling the detection of contaminants or uneven distribution of active materials in the coating.
Analytical Process
Incident X-rays knock electrons out of inner shells, and the subsequent return of outer electrons releases photons with energy levels unique to each element. Detectors capture these signals to build a map of the chemical composition. Because micro xrf spectroscopy does not require a vacuum, it can analyze samples that might be sensitive to the conditions inside an electron microscope.
Quality Control
Manufacturers use this tool to identify trace metal impurities that could cause internal short circuits. Detecting a single particle of copper or iron in a cathode mix with micro xrf spectroscopy prevents the assembly of a potentially hazardous cell. The speed of the scan allows for the inspection of large surface areas compared to traditional point-by-point analysis methods.
Sample Preparation
Foils and powders are mounted on a stage with minimal handling. Because the beam size is so small, micro xrf spectroscopy provides high fidelity data without the need for destructive cutting or chemical etching of the sample.