Analysis of Impurities in Lithium Hexafluorophosphate Electrolyte

This application note elucidates the practical implementation of the standard HG/T 4067-2015, with a particular focus on the analytical techniques and procedures for determining various elements in lithium battery electrolytes. In this study, three electrolyte samples were analyzed for 14 elements each using the high-resolution ICP-OES PlasmaQuant 9100 Elite in accordance with the aforementioned standard. Since lithium hexafluorophosphate leads to the formation of hydrofluoric acid, the measurement system was additionally equipped with a hydrofluoric acid-resistant sample introduction kit (HF kit). The carbon-rich matrix generates spectral overlaps on some analytical lines. This effect was corrected using the CSI software tool (Correction of Spectral Interferences), which resulted in an improved baseline without spectral disturbances, thereby enhancing the reliability of the measurement results. This ensures precise determination of impurities despite matrix effects and other side effects.