EL-CELL ECC-Opto-10 User manual

© 2022 EL-Cell GmbH
User Manual
Release 1.21
ECC-Opto-10
Electrochemical test cell

Page 2 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
The information in this manual has been carefully checked and believed to be accurate;
however, no responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies.
EL-Cell GmbH maintains the right to make changes without further notice to products
described in this manual to improve reliability, function, or design. EL-Cell GmbH does not
assume any liability arising from the use or application of this product.
EL-Cell GmbH
Tempowerkring 8
21079 Hamburg - Germany
phone: [phone]
fax: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: www.el-cell.com

Page 3 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
Content
1 Product Description ......................................................................................................... 4
2 Technical data .................................................................................................................. 6
3 Intended use..................................................................................................................... 6
4 Safety Precautions ........................................................................................................... 6
5 Assembly .......................................................................................................................... 7
6 Connecting the test cell ................................................................................................. 17
7 Disassembly and Cleaning.............................................................................................. 17
8 Unpacking....................................................................................................................... 18
9 Components ECC-Opto-10 ............................................................................................. 19
10 Technical Support ........................................................................................................ 21
11 Warranty....................................................................................................................... 21

Page 4 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
1Product Description
The ECC-Opto-10 test cell is designed for the operando characterization of electrodes using
optical methods such as light microscopy or Raman spectroscopy in reflection mode.
The ECC-Opto-10 is connected to the battery tester via a 2 mm cell cable with banana plugs. It
can be used with the PAT-Tester-x-8 as well as potentiostats and battery testers from third-
party manufacturers.
Features
▪2- and 3-electrode cell with optical window for aprotic electrochemistry
▪High cycling stability due to glass-to-metal seals
▪Suited for light microscopy and Raman spectroscopy
▪Fits on standard microscope sample stages (76 × 26 mm (DIN ISO 8037-1))

Page 5 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
Working principle of the ECC-Opto-10 (side-by-side setup of electrodes):
Sapphire glass window
Glass fiber
separator
Electrode 1
Inspection area
(up to 18 mm)
Electrode 1 pin
Electrode 2
Lid sealing foil (PE)
Electrode R pin
Lower piston
Compression spring
Sample holder
Plunger/
Electrode R
Inner sleeve II

Page 6 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
2 Technical data
▪Length: 77.5 mm
▪Width: 51 mm
▪Height: 21.5 mm
▪Weight: 0.3 kg
▪Temperature resistance: -20 to 70°C
▪Electrode R diameter: <= 10 mm
▪Dead volume: 1.8 cm³
3 Intended use
The ECC-Opto-10 test cell is an electrochemical measuring instrument designed for use in a
laboratory environment. It may only be used by trained personnel and only as described in
this manual.
4Safety Precautions
Use proper safety precautions when using hazardous electrode materials and electrolytes.
Wear protective glasses and gloves to protect you against electrolytes that may accidentally
spill out during filling and disassembly. Upon cell disassembly, dispose of all materials
properly. Metallic lithium and some insertion compounds may decompose heavily in contact
with water and other solvents and can cause a fire.

Page 7 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
5 Assembly
Please note: All assembly steps are to be carried out in an inert glove box atmosphere. All
components used are to be dried upfront in a vacuum oven at 80°C (120°C for parts made of
PPS) for at least 12 hours.
Once fully assembled, the cell is hermetically sealed so that it may be operated in an ambient
atmosphere.
The test cell can be used in several different configurations, which mainly differ in the type
and size of the working electrode used, the charging geometry (the position of the working
and counter electrode relative to each other), and the connection to the potentiostat (2- or 3-
electrode connection). In the following, the cell assembly is described in several parts.
5.1. Lid assembly
5.2. Instructions for assembling the cell for the side-by-side arrangement of electrodes.
5.3. Instructions for assembling the cell for the face-to-face arrangement of electrodes.
These instructions can also be viewed as videos on our website el-cell.com.

Page 8 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
5.1 Lid assembly:
1. Turn the lid upside down. Insert the
foil sealing into the lid.
2. Insert the window.
3. Insert the window thrust ring.
4. Attach the window flange and
screw in the screws using the torque
screwdriver 0.2 Nm.

Page 9 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
5.2 Assembling the cell with a side-by-side sample holder:
1. Assemble the lid as described
above. Then attach the electrode strips
to the sample holder.
2. Use the loading tweezer to push
the piston into the sleeve.
3. Put the electrode R, lithium metal
in this case, on top of the piston.

Page 10 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
4. Put the separator on top and push
it down using the loading tweezer.
The separator must not be more than
10 mm in diameter. A smaller
separator may be useful to prevent the
sample holder from coming into
contact with the electrolyte.
5. Attach the sample holder and press
it down.
6. Insert the assembly into the cell
base.

Page 11 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
7. Make sure that the electrode strips
are properly aligned before attaching
the lid.
8. Drop the electrolyte onto the
separator/electrodes. Use only the
amount of electrolyte necessary to
impregnate the porous material. Avoid
excess electrolyte. Typically, around 30
μl of electrolyte is suitable.
Note that electrolyte will be squeezed
out of the separator when the cell lid
is attached.
9. Insert the PE foil seal.
10. Put on the cell lid. Make sure that
the flat side of the cell base and the
straight line on the lid are parallel.

Page 12 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
11. Doublecheck the proper
alignment of the electrode strips.
Then press down the lid and tighten
the three screws firmly with the 2.5
mm hexagon screwdriver.
12. The ECC-Opto-10 is now ready for
testing. It can now be removed from
the glove box.

Page 13 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
5.3 Assembling the cell with a face-to-face sample holder:
1. Follow the lid assembly steps. Then
insert the lower piston into the inner
sleeve.
2. Use the loading tweezer to push the
piston into the sleeve.
3. Place the assembly into the cell
base.
4. Put the electrode R, lithium metal in
this case, on top of the piston.

Page 14 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
5. Put the separator on top. The
separator must not be more than 10
mm in diameter. A smaller separator
may be useful to prevent the sample
holder from coming into contact with
the electrolyte.
6. Use the loading tweezer again to
push the cell stack further down.
7. Drop the electrolyte onto the
separator. Use only the amount of
electrolyte necessary to impregnate
the porous material. Avoid excess
electrolyte. Typically, less than 50 μl of
electrolyte is suitable.
Note that electrolyte will be squeezed
out of the separator when the cell lid
is attached.
8. Put the self-standing electrode on
top. If the electrode has a grid-like
current collector, the grid must point
downward toward the separator.

Page 15 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
9. Push down the electrode stack using
the loading tweezer.
10. Insert the contact ring.
11. Put the holed current collector on
top. Choose the hole size depending
on the magnification used by the
microscope.
12. Insert the second foil seal.

Page 16 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
13. Put on the cell lid. Make sure that
the flat side of the cell base and the
straight line on the lid are parallel.
14. Finally, screw the cover on with the
2.5 mm hexagon screwdriver.
15. The ECC-Opto-10 is now ready for
testing.

Page 17 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
6 Connecting the test cell
Connect your potentiostat to the 2 mm sockets of the cell. Note
that sockets 1 and 1S are short-circuited inside the cell housing,
as are sockets 2 and 2S.
7Disassembly and Cleaning
Right after use, disassemble the cell in the reverse order of assembly. All chemicals used have
to be disposed of properly. All wetted parts are to be cleaned with water and/or other
appropriate solvents. All parts are to be dried immediately after cleaning at 80°C. All cell parts
made of PPS are to be dried immediately after cleaning overnight at 120°C.
NOTE: Leaving cell parts in contact with the ambient atmosphere while still being wetted with
electrolyte may result in severe corrosion.

Page 18 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
8Unpacking
Check the contents of the packages against the list given below to verify that you have
received all of the components. Contact the factory if anything is missing or damaged.
NOTE: Damaged shipments must remain with the original packaging for freight company
inspection.
List of Components:
ECC-Opto-10 test cell with flat socket, fully equipped for use in both 2-electrode and 3-
electrode configuration
Windows seal (10 pcs.) ECC1-05-0016-B/X
Separator 10.0 mm x 0.26 mm, GF/A (10 pcs.) ECC1-01-0012-R/X
PE Sealing foil (10 pcs.) ECC1-05-0032-A/X
Loading tweezer ECC1-09-2010-B
Torque screwdriver, 0.2 Nm, cross handle WZG9021
Inbus bit 1.5 mm x ¼ inch WZG9046
Hexagon screwdriver 2.5 mm, cross handle WZG9047
Sample holder (side-by-side) ECC1-05-0039-A
Contact ring (face-to-face) ECC1-05-0039-C
Contact disc (50 fold) ECC1-05-0042-C
Contact disc (100 fold) ECC1-05-0042-A
Contact disc (200 fold) ECC1-05-0042-B

Page 19 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
9Components ECC-Opto-10
ECC-Opto-10

Page 20 of 21
Release 1.21
User Manual ECC-Opto-10
Lid (OPTO-10) 18 mm, assy