Testing Laboratory – Third-Party Services for Soft-Pack Battery Materials

1. Market Background

The rise of high-energy-density soft-pack lithium batteries has generated strong demand not only for cell and material manufacturing, but also for independent testing services.

As lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and other resources circulate globally, upstream mining firms, traders and material producers increasingly rely on third-party laboratories to:

• Validate product quality;

• Provide impartial analysis reports;

• Support cross-border trade and project evaluation.

To serve both traditional mineral clients and the emerging new energy sector, testing organizations need analytical solutions that can cover minerals, battery materials and new energy materials on a single platform.

2. Customer & Application Scenario

The customer is a comprehensive testing laboratory in East China, offering services for:

• Lithium and nickel-cobalt minerals;

• Lithium battery cathode/anode materials and related new energy materials;

• Soft-pack cell manufacturers and materials suppliers seeking third-party verification.

It faced several practical issues:

• Existing instruments were oriented mainly to traditional ore analysis;

• More clients from the battery sector were requesting carbon and sulfur testing for lithium materials;

• The lab needed to support both mineral and new energy material testing with limited investment.

At the 3rd High Energy Density Soft-Pack Lithium Battery Development Forum, the lab learned that the high-frequency infrared carbon and sulfur analyzer from Wuxi Qianrong Instrument Co., Ltd. is suitable for lithium batteries, anode materials, minerals and new energy materials, which aligned well with its business positioning.

3. Our Solution

Wuxi Qianrong Instrument Co., Ltd. proposed a “one instrument, multiple application domains” carbon/sulfur testing solution:

• Core Instrument

  • A high-frequency infrared carbon and sulfur analyzer configured to support various sample types: lithium battery materials, anode/cathode powders, minerals and other new energy materials.

• Method Library by Scenario

  • Minerals: standard methods for lithium-bearing ores and nickel-cobalt ores.

  • Battery materials: specific methods and curves for cathode materials, anode materials and conductive additives.

• Service Model for the Soft-Pack Battery Chain

  • Providing third-party carbon/sulfur testing services to soft-pack cell factories and material suppliers;

  • Aligning report formats and technical descriptions with common requirements in the high-energy-density soft-pack sector.

4. Customer Feedback

After implementation, the testing laboratory reported clear benefits:

1. Expanded Business Scope

   • The lab successfully extended its services from traditional mineral analysis to new energy materials and soft-pack battery materials, attracting new clients from the battery supply chain.

2. Higher Instrument Utilization

   • The high-frequency infrared carbon and sulfur analyzer can switch between different types of samples, increasing utilization and return on investment.

3. Improved Industry Recognition

   • When working with lithium battery and material clients, the lab can emphasize that it uses a dedicated high-frequency infrared carbon and sulfur analyzer suitable for lithium materials and new energy applications, enhancing the credibility of its reports.