Increase reliability, understand failures – with professional post-mortem analysis for longer battery life.

Electric mobility, stationary energy storage and mobile applications all place the highest demands on the reliability of lithium-ion batteries. Unexpected cell failure or accelerated ageing can lead to costly recalls. In cases of recurring failures, reduced service life or incidents of damage, our professional post-mortem analysis provides customers with crucial insights.

Contact

Michael Kasper
+49 731 9530-564

Validated testing procedures – How can we support you?

  • We identify the root causes of cell aging and failure
  • Independent expert reports for disputed battery damage cases
  • Detailed analysis of internal cell design and cell chemistry
  • Identification of potential weaknesses in materials or cell design
  • In many cases, customers also receive recommendations for optimizing cell chemistry and manufacturing processes, as well as improving service life and fast-charging capability
  • We also supervise Master’s and PhD projects in collaboration with industry and provide employee training (topics: battery fundamentals and aging mechanisms)

Unique Selling Points of ZSW in Post-Mortem Analysis

  • Extensive expertise: Over 15 years of experience focusing on post-mortem analysis, cell design evaluation, lifetime assessment, and failure investigation
  • All cell formats and sizes: Pouch, cylindrical, and prismatic cells, up to approx. 400 Ah
  • Hands-on experience: Our battery cell inspection and analysis expertise is strongly supported by in-house cell production across the full spectrum—from lab-scale and pilot production to prototyping and near-industrial scale
  • Comprehensive methodology: The use of our complementary, validated analytical methods provides you with reliable and robust data
Michael Kasper, ZSW Expert (BDSH Certified)

"Our post-mortem analyses provide scientifically robust insights for product development and manufacturing - a real added value compared to purely electrochemical tests.”

ZSW Expert Michael Kasper (BDSH Certified)

Our cell analysis expertise is currently in high demand in the following areas:

  • Post-mortem analyses: Functional failure and damage investigations
  • Comprehensive cell analyses: Determination of cell design/structure, chemistry, geometry, and mass balance of all components
  • Material analyses for recycling processes
  • Aging analyses: Effects of changes on anodes, cathodes, etc.
  • Patent infringement analyses
  • Quality monitoring: Ensuring consistent production quality or comparing different production lines/sites
  • Electrolyte analyses

 

Tracking down failures: With in-depth post-mortem analysis, ZSW ensures safety and longevity in battery technology—driven by certified expert competence.

“Through many years of experience and state-of-the-art analytical methods in our cell disassembly laboratory, we provide valuable insights to strategically advance our customers’ product development.”

PD Dr. Thomas Waldmann, Head of Post-Mortem Analysis and Aging Mechanisms, ZSW

Physicochemical analysis of all cell components

  • Anodes, cathodes, separators, electrolytes, casings, lid assemblies, and other inactive materials
  • Composition, morphology, and degradation products
  • Aging effects (e.g., SEI growth, transition metal dissolution, lithium plating, inhomogeneities, etc.)

These insights are crucial for manufacturers and suppliers aiming to make their battery technologies robust, efficient, and market-ready.

Disassembly of a battery cell as part of ZSW’s post-mortem analysis - providing the foundation for understanding aging and failure mechanisms.
Disassembly of a battery cell as part of ZSW’s post-mortem analysis - providing the foundation for understanding aging and failure mechanisms.

Contact

PD Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Waldmann
+49 731 9530-212
Employee profile

Our services – From cell opening to reporting

Opening a lithium-ion cell under an inert protective atmosphere: inspecting and manually unrolling the electrodes for detailed material characterization and aging analysis.
Opening a lithium-ion cell under an inert protective atmosphere: inspecting and manually unrolling the electrodes for detailed material characterization and aging analysis.
  • Professional disassembly under controlled conditions, including inert atmosphere (argon gloveboxes, H₂O < 0.1 ppm, O₂ < 0.1 ppm) to prevent alterations of cell components due to air exposure
  • Carefully documented, minimally destructive cell opening, also combinable with non-destructive testing
  • All common cell formats and sizes: cylindrical (18650, 21700, 46800, …), pouch, prismatic
  • All common commercial cell chemistries: lithium- and sodium-ion batteries
  • Our analytical methods: electrochemical tests prior to cell opening, CT, SEM/EDX, XRD, ICP-OES, GD-OES, cross-sections, reassembly of electrodes into half-cells and full cells with reference electrode

 

Typical workflow of our analysis:

  1. Inquiry: You describe your question, and we provide a tailored offer promptly
  2. Initial testing, cell disassembly & sample collection: Conducted under controlled atmosphere by an experienced operator, e.g., in an argon glovebox, depending on your specific question
  3. Analysis & interpretation: Combination of physicochemical methods at the material, electrode, and cell levels
  4. Report: You receive the results in a clear and understandable format

References

Over 60 satisfied industrial clients—including cell manufacturers and automotive companies from Germany, the EU, and other countries—have entrusted us with their projects. We have successfully completed well over 120 customer projects.

Find out which analytical method is suitable for your specific question

Contact

Michael Kasper
+49 731 9530-564

Selected examples of post-mortem analyses with commercial cells:

  • 'Sodium Metal Deposition in Commercial Sodium-Ion Cells', K. Bischof, M. Feinauer, A. Aracil Regalado, M. Wohlfahrt-Mehrens, M. Hölzle, T. Waldmann, J. Electrochem. Soc. 172 (2025) 090520, http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ae0075
  • 'Interplay of Operational Parameters on Lithium Deposition in Lithium-Ion Cells: Systematic Measurements with Reconstructed 3-Electrode Pouch Full Cells', T. Waldmann, B.-I. Hogg, M. Kasper, S. Grolleau, C. Gutiérrez Couceiro, K. Trad, B. Pilipili Matadi, M. Wohlfahrt-Mehrens, J. Electrochem. Soc. 163, A1232-A1238, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1149/2.0591607jes
  • 'Temperature dependent ageing mechanisms in Lithium-ion batteries - A Post-Mortem Study', T. Waldmann, M. Wilka, M. Kasper, M. Fleischhammer, M. Wohlfahrt-Mehrens, Journal of Power Sources, 262, 129-135, 2014, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2014.03.112

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