Prismatic lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered promising electric energy sources in electromobility applications due to their efficient space utilization. However, their sensitivity to external and internal influences and reduced durability lead to inflation risk and potential explosions throughout their lifecycle. These critical processes are strongly influenced by the inner construction of the cell, especially concerning the coating and mechanical fixation. This study subjects a commercially available prismatic LIB cell to comprehensive, correlative analysis employing various imaging techniques. The inner structure of the entire cell is visualized non-destructively by X-ray computed tomography (CT), enabling the identification of critical design flaws prior to electrochemical cycling. Electrochemical cycling simulates the battery lifecycle, and the cell is subsequently disassembled in the fully charged state. The usage of the inert-gas transfer system allowed the preparation of Broad Ion Beam (BIB) electrodes cross-sections in a fully native state and for the first time to observe the tearing of graphite particles due to over-lithiation. Established region labeling system allowed to use CT and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) correlatively to identify critical regions. After 100 cycles, a 40% capacity loss was observed and event diagram describing deagradation mechanisms, related both to the cell design and to the processes occurring at high load, was created.

Central European Institute of Technology Brno University of Technology Brno Czech Republic

Department of Electrical and Electronic Technology Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication BUT Technická 10 Brno 616 00 Czech Republic

Institute of Physical Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Brno University of Technology Brno Czech Republic

Thermo Fisher Scientific Achtseweg Noord 5 Eindhoven 5651 GG The Netherlands

Thermo Fisher Scientific Vlastimila Pecha 12 Brno 627 00 Czech Republic

WZL | RWTH Aachen University Aachen Germany

Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 7;15(1):24249. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-08064-5. PubMed

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