Developing batteries Measuring electrode resistance from 0.1 µOhm to 100 MOhm

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The further development of high-performance batteries based on lithium-ion heavily depends on a low electrode resistance. So far, the construction and testing of prototypes was necessary for an optimal mix of materials, temperature, and pressure. A special measuring system promises a solution.

The key to further development of high-performance batteries based on Li-ion technology lies in reducing the resistance of the electrode material that makes up the battery to the smallest and constant values. The question repeatedly arises as to which material, temperature and pressure achieve the smallest possible resistance. Until now, European developers had to build and test a prototype of the battery for each of the infinitely many variants. This is old-fashioned, lengthy and expensive.

The leading developers from the Far East have a significant competitive advantage here. They use the RM2610 from Hioki, an electrode resistance measuring system, which is already very successful in the Far East.

Special probe measures the DC resistance

In just one step, the system accurately determines the resistance of the composite material and at the same time calculates the transition resistance between the composite layer and the collector foil. Instead of a conventional 4-wire measurement, the RM2610 uses a special probe. On an area of one square millimeter, there are 46 spring contacts. During the measurement, a series of DC resistance measurements take place between these microscopically small contacts.

An algorithm quickly calculates the specific resistance of the active mass and the transition resistance from these values and known parameters. This allows developers to get as close as possible to the best result.

This measurement method was developed by Hioki specifically for laboratories in the battery industry to significantly accelerate the development process of Li-ion cells. However, the RM2610 is now also used for quality assurance in the production lines of battery manufacturers.

Consistent electrical resistances in the electrodes

With its high measurement speed, the system also withstands the fast cycle times in the production process. This not only accelerates development times, but also ensures consistently equal electrical resistances in the electrodes. This is an indispensable prerequisite for consistently high quality when the electrodes are interconnected in modules and packs. After all, the Li-ion battery is only as good as the worst cell.

"The RM2610 marks a milestone in the research of even better Li-ion batteries," says Furuhata Yoshinori, Managing Director of Hioki Europe. "We bring our decades of experience with market-leading manufacturers of EV and Li-ion batteries from the Far East to European manufacturers. We can now offer them a powerful solution that significantly increases their competitiveness."

The electrode resistance measurement system RM2610 can be seen at the Battery Conference from April 9 to 11 in Münster.

Link: Technical details of the RM2610 (external link, English)