Optical Method for Determining the Lithiation Degree of Li-Ion Batteries

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This invention describes a non-destructive optical method for determining the degree of lithiation (i.e., the amount of lithium stored) in electrode layers for lithium-ion batteries. The method involves shining light of specific wavelengths onto the electrode surface, measuring the intensity of the reflected light, and correlating this with the lithium content of the electrode. The technique is specially calibrated for use with electrode layers made from at least two different active materials (such as silicon and carbon) and can be implemented in real-time during industrial manufacturing processes to monitor and control electrode quality.

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• Real-time quality control in lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines.
• In-line monitoring of pre-lithiation levels in battery anode production.
• Characterization of electrode materials in battery research and development.
• Process optimization and yield analysis in the production of advanced battery electrodes.
• Non-destructive testing for battery manufacturers to ensure consistent lithium content in electrode rolls before cell assembly.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Non-destructive and rapid, allowing continuous (inline/at-line) process control without interrupting production.
• Enables precise and quantitative determination of lithium content, even for complex electrode compositions with multiple active materials.
• Improves the consistency, quality, and performance of Li-ion batteries by providing immediate feedback and reducing sample-to-sample variability.
• Economically advantageous as it reduces the need for costly and slow laboratory analysis or destructive sampling.
• Applicable to large surface areas and adaptable for both spot-checking and comprehensive material examination, supporting statistical process control.

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Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical method for determining the degree of lithiation of electrode layers for Li-ion batteries, said method comprising at least the steps of: a) providing at least two electrode layers each of which has a mixture of at least two active materials having a different, known degree of lithiation; b) irradiating the electrode surface with light of one or more wavelengths, the wavelength of the irradiated light being greater than or equal to 300 nm and less than or equal to 1000 nm; c) determining the light intensity reflected by the surface of the electrode layer as a function of the wavelength; d) correlating the reflected wavelength-dependent light intensity determined in step c) and the known degree of lithiation of the electrode layers; and e) determining an unknown degree of lithiation of an electrode layer with a composition of the active material corresponding to the electrode layers provided in the method step a) by means of a reflection measurement according to the method steps b) and c) and using the correlation obtained in step d). The present invention also relates to the use of the method for in-line determination of degrees of lithiation and to a system for determination thereof.