Malvern Instruments has revealed that the Mastersizer 2000 laser diffraction particle size analyser is being used by manufacturers to help improve battery design.
The company said as battery developers and manufacturers strive to combine even greater power storage and output into lightweight, fast-charging products, the Mastersizer 2000 is proving useful in characterising the materials used to make electrodes.
The particle size distribution of battery electrode materials influences the rate of electrochemical reaction within the cell, having an effect on both the power density and storage capacity of the finished product.
With its optical setup, the Mastersizer 2000 allows comprehensive characterisation of the mixtures of nanometre- and micron-sized particles often used in electrode production.
The resulting data inform electrode design, ultimately influencing the battery's final performance.
The Mastersizer 2000 is said to be fast and accurate and has a dynamic range of 0.2 to 2,000 microns, meaning it covers those sizes of interest for battery production.
Consistent sensitivity across this range ensures accurate measurement of each size fraction, which is particularly important when analysing polydisperse materials.
An application note describing experimental details of the Mastersizer 2000 used to measure various electrode materials is available at the Malvern Instruments website.
