Battery safety: See inside batteries (or anything) as they fail

At the ESRF, high-speed X-ray imaging is revolutionising our understanding of battery failure by capturing rapid, real-time processes inside working cells. Using the intense, focused X-ray beams of the synchrotron, researchers can visualise fast events such as gas release and mechanical deformation —at millisecond timescales and with micron-level resolution. This capability provides unique insight into the root causes of thermal runaway. By revealing failure mechanisms as they happen, high-speed X-ray imaging at the ESRF is a critical tool for designing safer, more durable next-generation batteries.