The Battery Experts with Anthony Chalou from Anton Paar explores the physical parameters of electrolyte solutions and their importance during battery manufacturing.
Electrolytes are an integral part of a battery because they transfer ions between electrodes, causing the battery to charge and discharge.
Electrolytes’ chemical composition and physical parameters are important to a battery's quality, performance, and safety. Density, viscosity, flammability, or flashpoint must be accurately measured during battery manufacture.
In this video, Anthony examines various methods and instrumentation designed to accurately determine the physical parameters of electrolyte materials. He also discusses the ideal settings and experimental conditions for each measurement and provides example measurements in each case.
For example, measuring the density of an electrolyte solution using a portable density meter or benchtop instrument is a quick, easy, and reliable way to ensure that the electrolyte’s composition corresponds to the required specifications.
Density measurement is also a useful QC tool when preparing electrolyte formulations, particularly when using a fully automated instrument fitted with an autosampler to monitor multiple parameters simultaneously, such as pH, viscosity, and refractive index.
When developing new electrolytes, viscosity measurements are typically performed over a wide temperature range or at a single temperature. Viscosity is an important indicator of the degree of wettability of the electrodes by the electrolyte. This parameter will affect ion transport and, consequently, a battery’s charge and discharge rate over a specific temperature range.
A rolling ball viscometer with a cooling option allows the dynamic viscosity of an electrolyte solution to be measured. However, consideration must be given to the instrument and testing method because battery electrolyte solutions can be highly corrosive and the reaction of electrolytes with water can form hydrofluoric acid (HF).
The flammability or flashpoint of electrolyte solutions should be considered throughout battery manufacturing because solutions used for electrolyte formulation can be highly flammable. This is a critical consideration in ensuring user safety.
To illustrate this, Anthony outlines using an Abel closed-cup flashpoint tester to measure the flashpoint of dimethylformamide (DMF) - a commonly used electrolyte solvent.
Accurately measuring electrolyte solutions' physical parameters (such as density, viscosity, and flashpoint) provides valuable information to battery manufacturers. A thorough understanding of the impact of these parameters is key to ensuring the quality and safety of these solutions during the manufacturing process.
The Battery Experts: Ensuring Battery Quality with Electrolyte Measurements | Anton Paar
Video Credit: Anton Paar GmbH
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Anton Paar GmbH.
For more information on this source, please visit Anton Paar GmbH.