Introducing new particle sizing possibilities for battery manufacturing

by Umesh Tiwari, Friday, 12th July 2024

Mastersizer 3000+

If you work in battery manufacturing, you will know how important particle sizing is. The parameters of battery particles must be tightly controlled to avoid processing problems during manufacturing. A rigorous approach also ensures that battery performance comes up to standard – a vital expectation as batteries are expected to power ever more demanding appliances.

So how do you determine particle size? For many in the industry, laser diffraction technology is regarded as the ‘gold standard’. It boasts speed, precision, and repeatability. For Malvern Panalytical, laser diffraction is familiar territory. For decades the Mastersizer series of laser diffraction instruments has gained a well-deserved reputation for highly reliable particle size analysis in battery manufacturing applications.

Now, we’ve taken the next step in the evolution of particle size analysis: the Mastersizer 3000+.

Introducing the Mastersizer 3000+

The Mastersizer 3000+ builds on decades of expertise, including the release of our original Mastersizer 3000 in 2012. The product was well-regarded for its versatile analysis and robust performance. With the 3000+, we’ve built on this great reputation with three helpful new features:

  • Size Sure: for differentiating data from outside influences
  • Data Quality Guidance: for intelligently evaluating and improving your data
  • SOP Architect: for standardized, streamlined method development for wet samples

Whether it’s unexpected results, a mountain of data to cut down, or finding the ideal method for unusual samples – the Mastersizer 3000+ meets all the challenges faced by battery manufacturing specialists. Better still, it does it all quickly and accurately.

In the rest of this blog, we summarize the excellent results from real-world applications of these features, drawn from our recent application note, Battery manufacturing: Reliable, adaptable particle sizing using the Mastersizer 3000+.

Want all the details first? Read the application note now!

Spot coarse particles in electrode slurries with Size Sure

What could happen if you don’t spot oversized particles in cathode slurries? There’s a clear risk of short-circuiting the cathode and anode, which could cause fires and must be avoided. To spot these problematic oversized particles, you need a laser diffraction instrument with the right features. The Mastersizer 3000+ has two in particular that can help:

  • Its upper measurement limit of 3500 μm is generous enough to identify a variety of coarse particles and aggregates.
  • Size Sure separates steady-state and transient data, helping to distinguish contaminants from the expected sample.

Our application note details examples of results with and without Size Sure enhancements. Find out more here.

Constant particle size data in precursor materials with Data Quality Guidance

Laser diffraction instruments are valuable tools for delivering reproducible results over time. With this kind of data, it’s possible to track how precursor particles change over time.

The Mastersizer 3000+ has several features to give you confidence in these long-term results. Its reproducibility and repeatability are unsurpassed, eliminating concerns of instrument drift over time.

Data Quality Guidance complements the robustness of the Mastersizer 3000+ hardware with an innovative software solution. It immediately flags any data-related issues and advises intelligently on how to fix the problem, protecting you from making critical decisions based on imperfect data.

Curious for more information about how we certify the reproducibility and repeatability of our instruments’ results? Our application note has all the figures you need.

Faster training for particle sizing novices with SOP Architect

Laser diffraction technology is highly versatile, so it’s unsurprising to see it increasingly often in battery manufacturing. Given the financial pressures on the manufacturing sector, we realize that the operatives of instruments like the Mastersizer 3000+ often have to use several instruments competently.

Our SOP Architect feature makes it easier for an operative to learn how to use the Mastersizer 3000+. It generates standard operating procedures that can be used even by operatives who are unfamiliar with the software. The reporting features of the software are also flexible so that data can be presented in the most insightful way for a variety of organizational needs.

Curious to see what a report looks like? View the images in our application note.

Our application note demonstrates how the Mastersizer 3000+ builds on the great reputation of the Mastersizer range, thanks to all-new, intelligent features, robust components, and highly accurate analysis. We can’t wait to see how battery manufacturers will embrace this new era of particle size analysis. To find out more about the instrument itself and the difference it can make in your battery manufacturing application, take a look at our web page!

Further reading

Access the application note