4D insights into lithium-ion battery sidewall rupture during thermal runaway

<h2>Summary</h2> Thermal runaway (TR), characterized by rapid exothermic reactions, presents a serious safety risk in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). External triggers such as high temperatures, mechanical abuse, or internal short circuits (ISCs) can initiate TR, often resulting in sidewall rupture, which may escalate to catastrophic battery pack failure. In this study, we developed and applied high-speed synchrotron imaging techniques to investigate sidewall rupture mechanisms in LiBs subjected to different triggering scenarios. Using <i>in situ</i> 4D tomographic imaging, we visualized the dynamic evolution of sidewall rupture with high spatial and temporal resolution. The results revealed distinct failure behaviors linked to each trigger, underscoring the complex and condition-specific nature of sidewall breach and battery failure. These insights highlight the critical importance of implementing tailored safety strategies across diverse applications. Our findings demonstrate the powerful potential of synchrotron high-speed tomography as a diagnostic tool for advanced safety testing and cell qualification.

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Publication Details

Journal
Cell Reports Physical Science
Published
2026-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103095
Primary Topic
Advanced Battery Technologies Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

4D insights into lithium-ion battery sidewall rupture during thermal runaway

Charlie Kirchner-Burles, James B. Robinson, Jonas Pfaff, Rhodri Jervis et al.
Cell Reports Physical Science
Advanced Battery Technologies Research
article

4D insights into lithium-ion battery sidewall rupture during thermal runaway

Charlie Kirchner-Burles, James B. Robinson, Jonas Pfaff, Rhodri Jervis, Hamish Thomas Reid, M. Venturelli, Matilda Fransson, Mark Buckwell, Donal P. Finegan, Arthur Fordham, Mahesh Thalwaththe Gedara, Alexander Rack, Ludovic Broche, Sebastian Schopferer, Eric Darcy, Paul Shearing
article en

Abstract

<h2>Summary</h2> Thermal runaway (TR), characterized by rapid exothermic reactions, presents a serious safety risk in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). External triggers such as high temperatures, mechanical abuse, or internal short circuits (ISCs) can initiate TR, often resulting in sidewall rupture, which may escalate to catastrophic battery pack failure. In this study, we developed and applied high-speed synchrotron imaging techniques to investigate sidewall rupture mechanisms in LiBs subjected to different triggering scenarios. Using <i>in situ</i> 4D tomographic imaging, we visualized the dynamic evolution of sidewall rupture with high spatial and temporal resolution. The results revealed distinct failure behaviors linked to each trigger, underscoring the complex and condition-specific nature of sidewall breach and battery failure. These insights highlight the critical importance of implementing tailored safety strategies across diverse applications. Our findings demonstrate the powerful potential of synchrotron high-speed tomography as a diagnostic tool for advanced safety testing and cell qualification.

Cell Reports Physical ScienceVol. 7(2)
National Laboratory of the Rockies (US), National Physical Laboratory (GB), Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut (DE), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (FR), University of Oxford (GB), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US), Johnson Space Center (US), The Faraday Institution (GB), University College London (GB), Politecnico di Milano (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 65%
Advanced Battery Technologies Research
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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