Synchrotron sheds light on exploding batteries

The study, published in Nature Communications today, was carried out by UCL, ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility), Imperial College London and the National Physical Laboratory, and shows for the first time how internal structural damage to batteries evolves in real-time, and how this can spread to neighbouring batteries.

The group used a combination of high-energy synchrotron X-rays and thermal imaging to map changes to the internal structure and external temperature of two types of Li-ion batteries as they were exposed them to extreme levels of heat.

The high-speed imaging made possible by the European Synchrotron, which can capture 3D images in fractions of a second, and enabled the team to capture ‘thermal runaway’: the point at which the battery overheats and can ignite.

The team looked at the effects of gas pockets forming, venting and increasing temperatures on the layers inside two distinct commercial Li-ion batteries as they exposed the battery shells to temperatures in excess of 250 degrees C.