University College London’s Electrochemical Innovation Laboratory is using Zeiss Xradia 810 Ultra X-ray microscopy to study the inner-workings of batteries and fuel cells, Zeiss recently announced.

The Xradia 810 Ultra helps researchers to study the evolution of microstructure down to 50 nm resolution. Such resolution offers a 3D picture of the fine details of lithium ion batteries. Along with the sub-micron resolution of the Zeiss Xradia 520 Versa 3D X-ray microscope, the British researchers can achieve multi-scale results. They can relate large features in the package to the complex pore pathways within the electrode layers and separators.

“With Zeiss Xradia 810 Ultra we can accomplish non-destructive 3D imaging with spatial resolution comparable to the synchrotron sources, achieving important results in a range of disciplines including chemical engineering, materials sciences and earth sciences,” Francesco Iacoviello of UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab, said in a news release.