Early research in rechargeable Li-ion batteries stretches back as far as the 1960s with the first commercially available rechargeable battery becoming available in 1991. With the more recent onset of cellular telephones, electronic wearables, and electric vehicles, along with the drive toward green energy, there has been increasing interest in Li-ion battery technology that can provide greater energy density as well as greater safety and stability.

This research has led to the development of many new anode, cathode, and electrolyte materials, all of which require elemental testing to verify purity and trace element content. We will deliver a broad overview of Li-ion battery architecture and the raw materials that go into them, a discussion of preparation of standards for neat analysis of EC/DEC/DMC, a review of data collected from ICP-OES analysis of electrolyte solutions, and tips and tricks to improve the quality of your battery-related elemental analysis.