Rheological study of electrode coating slurries done by McARIS:
As demand for high-performance batteries continues to grow, the quality and consistency of electrode coatings have become a critical focus in R&D and production. One of the most important factors in electrode manufacturing is the behavior of the slurry—a complex suspension of active material, binder, and solvent.
To better understand the flow, stability, and particle interactions in our electrode slurries, we recently conducted a comparative study using two advanced analytical tools:
Rheological diagnosis was conducted by McARIS on slurry materials used for battery electrode coatings.
The test measurements were performed using a Thermo MARS iQ Air Rheometer equipped with a C60 2/Ti measuring geometry, under a temperature of 23°C.
Through this test:
In the low shear rate region, it is possible to predict the degree of microstructure formation among particles within the material, as well as stability and storage behavior.
In the high shear rate region, it becomes possible to assess processability, including mixing and coating processes.
A relatively high viscosity in the low shear region can help prevent sedimentation of particles within the sample, whereas a lower viscosity in the high shear region contributes to ease of processing and helps achieve a uniform and thin coating layer.
Therefore, monitoring viscosity changes across a wide range of shear rates is crucial for evaluating slurry performance.
All three provided samples were successfully fitted using the Cross model. The power law index “n”, obtained from curve fitting, quantifies how much the viscosity of a fluid changes with shear rate. The n values derived from curve fitting of the measurement data using Haake RheoWin software can serve as an important symbolic indicator in Quality Control (QC) or Quality Assurance (QA). In general, a higher n value suggests stronger attractive forces between particles within the sample, leading to the formation of microstructural agglomerates, and thus often correlates with lower dispersion stability.
MCARIS MAGELEKA
Low Field NMR Magnometer study of electrode coating slurries done by McARIS;
Instrument: Magnometer XRS
| Sample Type | Battery Electrode Coating Slurry C |
| Number of samples | 3 |
| Amount of sample used for testing | 0.1 ml |
| Measurement temperature | 30 º C
|
(Each sample was tested using 2 tubes, measured 3 times each—for a total of 6 measurements.)
The following are the Mageleka XRS Low-field NMR test results for battery electrode coating materials.
We attempted to classify differences in dispersion and stability within the slurry materials by analyzing their T1 and T2 relaxation times.
As shown in the attached test results, comparison of T1 relaxation times using low-field NMR relaxometry demonstrated that T1 values can be used as a quality evaluation tool for electrode coating materials.
2. Measurement Value
Relaxation T1 (단위: ms)
Sample 1
T1/ms 1.786e+02 +/- 2.426e+00
Height 9.121e+03 +/- 5.841e+01
Sample 2
T1/ms 1.825e+02 +/- 3.533e+00
Height 9.388e+03 +/-8.392e+01
Sample 3
T1/ms 8.052e+01 +/- 3.966e-01
Height 2.182e+04 +/- 5.098e+01
| Lot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Sample 1 | 178.1 | 179.1 | 177.4 | 177.9 | 179.3 | 178.5 |
| Sample 2 | 182.6 | 182.1 | 183.4 | 183.5 | 182.3 | 183.4 |
| Sample 3 | 80.3 | 81.7 | 79.8 | 81.8 | 79.6 | 80.5 |
3. Measurement results / Analysis
For each of the three samples, the material was transferred into two different tubes and measured three times per tube, resulting in six measurements per sample. This allowed us to assess the repeatability and consistency of the data.
When comparing the T1 values measured for the three samples:
Sample 1 and Sample 2 showed similar values with only slight differences, suggesting that the interfacial characteristics of the materials in these samples are likely comparable.
Sample 3, on the other hand, exhibited a distinct deviation in T1 values compared to the other two samples, indicating a notable difference in material interface or dispersion characteristics.
These results confirm that T1 relaxation time measurements using low-field NMR relaxometry can be effectively used as a quality assessment tool for your slurry samples.
Conclusion
By combining rheological testing using the Thermo MARS iQ Rheometer with low-field NMR analysis via the Mageleka XRS, we were able to obtain complementary insights into the flow behavior, dispersion stability, and interfacial properties of battery electrode slurry samples.
Rheological analysis (across low and high shear rates) revealed critical information about the slurry’s processability and sedimentation resistance.
Curve fitting using the Cross model and power law index (n) provided a symbolic indicator of microstructure formation, potentially useful for QA/QC protocols.
Low-field NMR relaxometry, particularly T1 measurements, enabled classification of samples based on dispersion quality and interface differences, with clear reproducibility.
Together, these methods offer a robust diagnostic approach for improving material formulation, ensuring coating uniformity, and enhancing quality control in battery electrode manufacturing.
Rheological study of electrode coating slurries done by McARIS:
As demand for high-performance batteries continues to grow, the quality and consistency of electrode coatings have become a critical focus in R&D and production. One of the most important factors in electrode manufacturing is the behavior of the slurry—a complex suspension of active material, binder, and solvent.
To better understand the flow, stability, and particle interactions in our electrode slurries, we recently conducted a comparative study using two advanced analytical tools:
Thermo MARS iQ Air Rheometer
Mageleka MagnoMeter XRS
Rheological diagnosis was conducted by McARIS on slurry materials used for battery electrode coatings.
The test measurements were performed using a Thermo MARS iQ Air Rheometer equipped with a C60 2/Ti measuring geometry, under a temperature of 23°C.
Through this test:
In the low shear rate region, it is possible to predict the degree of microstructure formation among particles within the material, as well as stability and storage behavior.
In the high shear rate region, it becomes possible to assess processability, including mixing and coating processes.
A relatively high viscosity in the low shear region can help prevent sedimentation of particles within the sample, whereas a lower viscosity in the high shear region contributes to ease of processing and helps achieve a uniform and thin coating layer.
Therefore, monitoring viscosity changes across a wide range of shear rates is crucial for evaluating slurry performance.
All three provided samples were successfully fitted using the Cross model. The power law index “n”, obtained from curve fitting, quantifies how much the viscosity of a fluid changes with shear rate. The n values derived from curve fitting of the measurement data using Haake RheoWin software can serve as an important symbolic indicator in Quality Control (QC) or Quality Assurance (QA). In general, a higher n value suggests stronger attractive forces between particles within the sample, leading to the formation of microstructural agglomerates, and thus often correlates with lower dispersion stability.
MCARIS MAGELEKA
Low Field NMR Magnometer study of electrode coating slurries done by McARIS;
Instrument: Magnometer XRS
(Each sample was tested using 2 tubes, measured 3 times each—for a total of 6 measurements.)
The following are the Mageleka XRS Low-field NMR test results for battery electrode coating materials.
We attempted to classify differences in dispersion and stability within the slurry materials by analyzing their T1 and T2 relaxation times.
As shown in the attached test results, comparison of T1 relaxation times using low-field NMR relaxometry demonstrated that T1 values can be used as a quality evaluation tool for electrode coating materials.
2. Measurement Value
Relaxation T1 (단위: ms)
Sample 1
T1/ms 1.786e+02 +/- 2.426e+00
Height 9.121e+03 +/- 5.841e+01
Sample 2
T1/ms 1.825e+02 +/- 3.533e+00
Height 9.388e+03 +/-8.392e+01
Sample 3
T1/ms 8.052e+01 +/- 3.966e-01
Height 2.182e+04 +/- 5.098e+01
3. Measurement results / Analysis
For each of the three samples, the material was transferred into two different tubes and measured three times per tube, resulting in six measurements per sample. This allowed us to assess the repeatability and consistency of the data.
When comparing the T1 values measured for the three samples:
Sample 1 and Sample 2 showed similar values with only slight differences, suggesting that the interfacial characteristics of the materials in these samples are likely comparable.
Sample 3, on the other hand, exhibited a distinct deviation in T1 values compared to the other two samples, indicating a notable difference in material interface or dispersion characteristics.
These results confirm that T1 relaxation time measurements using low-field NMR relaxometry can be effectively used as a quality assessment tool for your slurry samples.
Conclusion
By combining rheological testing using the Thermo MARS iQ Rheometer with low-field NMR analysis via the Mageleka XRS, we were able to obtain complementary insights into the flow behavior, dispersion stability, and interfacial properties of battery electrode slurry samples.
Rheological analysis (across low and high shear rates) revealed critical information about the slurry’s processability and sedimentation resistance.
Curve fitting using the Cross model and power law index (n) provided a symbolic indicator of microstructure formation, potentially useful for QA/QC protocols.
Low-field NMR relaxometry, particularly T1 measurements, enabled classification of samples based on dispersion quality and interface differences, with clear reproducibility.
Together, these methods offer a robust diagnostic approach for improving material formulation, ensuring coating uniformity, and enhancing quality control in battery electrode manufacturing.