Mounting of a battery cell in a neutron imaging and tomography facility.
Wenzel Schürmann / TUM
Bosch developers and Technical University of Munich (TUM) scientists have been investigating the filling process of lithium-ion batteries with electrolyte fluid. Battery manufacturers have to date often had to wait several hours to ensure the liquid is fully absorbed into the pores of the electrode stack. Researchers have investigated the filling process with the neutron imaging and tomography facility ANTARES at the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) in Garching near Munich.
Neutrons were used to enable observation of the filling process under vacuum. The electrode was completely wetted after just over 50 minutes, but this would have taken almost twice as long under normal pressure. The electrode absorbs around ten percent less electrolyte liquid under normal pressure due to gas formation. The scientists were also able to demonstrate this using neutrons.