Using Neutron-based techniques to investigate battery behaviour

The extensive use of portable electronic devices has given rise to increasing demand for reliable high energy density storage in the form of batteries. Today, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the leading technology as they offer high energy density and relatively long lifetimes. Despite their widespread adoption, Li-ion batteries still suffer from significant degradation in their performance over time. The most obvious degradation in lithium-ion battery performance is capacity fade – where the capacity of the battery reduces after extended cycling. This talk will focus on how in situ time-resolved neutron powder diffraction (NPD) can be used to gain a better understanding of the structural changes which contribute to the observed capacity fade. The commercial batteries studied each feature different electrochemical and storage histories that are precisely known, allowing us to elucidate the tell-tale signs of battery degradation using NPD and relate these to battery history. Moreover, this talk will also showcase the diverse use of other neutron-based techniques such as neutron imaging to study electrolyte concentrations in lead-acid batteries, and the use of quasi-elastic neutron scattering to study Na-ion dynamics in sodium-ion batteries.