Best practices in lithium battery cell preparation and evaluation

Abstract Improved lithium batteries are in high demand for consumer electronics and electric vehicles. In order to accurately evaluate new materials and components, battery cells need to be fabricated and tested in a controlled environment. For the commonly used coin and small pouch cells, certain key factors and parameters substantially influence the final cell quality and performance. Therefore, to achieve accurate and reliable data on new materials for batteries, repeatability, and quality of cell fabrication are critical to ensure reproducible findings. Here, we discuss the key factors and parameters which influence cell fabrication and testing, including electrode uniformity, component dryness, electrode alignment, internal and external pressure, electrolyte amount control, and cell fixture with pressure control. We also provide general guidelines for reliable cell preparation.