Introduction
In recent years, transportation based on internal combustion engines using fossil fuels has been declining due to an increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs), which rely on two main power sources: secondary batteries and fuel cells. Among secondary batteries, lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are in high demand due to their efficiency, offering faster charging and greater capacity, which allows for longer travel distances between charges.
Secondary batteries are primarily based on alkali metals like lithium (Li) and sodium (Na), which have high ionization efficiencies and small sizes, allowing ions to move easily between polarities. Lithium is preferred due to its small ion size, which enhances the efficiency of battery charging and discharging.
The ratio of the cathode metals to lithium is important since it impacts battery performance. Therefore, the molar ratios of the cathode components to lithium are critical during the production of cathodes in assessing their performance. This work demonstrates that the Avio® 550 Max fully simultaneous ICP-OES provides accurate, repeatable determinations of the molar ratio of lithium to sum of metals in NCMA (nickel cobalt manganese aluminum), an important cathode material for high-content nickel-lithium-ion secondary batteries.