Rapid prediction of electrolyte-based cell failure in retired Li-ion Electric Vehicle pouch cells

Pierrot S. Attidekou; Zoran Milojevic; Luke Sweeney; Musbahu  Muhammad; Mohamed Ahmeid; Simon Lambert; Peter R. Slater; Paul A. Anderson

doi:10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829

Rapid prediction of electrolyte-based cell failure in retired Li-ion Electric Vehicle pouch cells

Pierrot S. Attidekou^*
, Zoran Milojevic
, Luke Sweeney
, Musbahu Muhammad
, Mohamed Ahmeid
, Simon Lambert
, Peter R. Slater^*
, Paul A. Anderson^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit sudden non-linear degradation (known as the cell knee point) in operating use, but a quick, simple, and industrially applicable method of predicting knee point failure remains elusive. Addressing this gap, we show for the first time that the Warburg coefficient (readily obtainable from EIS measurement) can predict electrolyte-based knee point failure, well before extreme capacity degradation, in retired electric vehicle pouch cells. The technique is found to be effective across a wide range of battery states of charge (SOC), and the information can be extracted from the pouch cells in only 10 seconds. In principle this enables early detection of electrolyte-based knee point failure within commercial electric vehicle cells if applied ex situ through offline diagnosis (energy storage system) within second life battery application systems, thus allowing greater predictability with regard to the remaining lifetime of the battery.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Physics: Energy
Early online date	19 Feb 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 19 Feb 2026

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Lithium-ion Battery
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
Warburg Coefficient
Knee Point Prediction
State of Health

Access to Document

10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

AttidekouPS2026Rapid_AAMAccepted author manuscript, 1.15 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

1 Active
3 Finished

Recycling and Reuse of Lithium-ion Batteries 3a
Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Harper, G. (Co-Investigator), Kendrick, E. (Co-Investigator), Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator), Leeke, G. (Co-Investigator) & Sommerville, R. (Co-Investigator)
The Faraday Institution
1/04/25 → 31/03/26
Project: Research
Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 3
Leeke, G. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Kendrick, E. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Stolkin, R. (Co-Investigator) & Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator)
The Faraday Institution
1/04/23 → 31/03/25
Project: Research
Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 2
Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator), Leeke, G. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Stolkin, R. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Kendrick, E. (Co-Investigator) & Lee, R. (Co-Investigator)
The Faraday Institution
1/04/21 → 31/03/23
Project: Research
ReLIB - Faraday Challenge Fast Track proposal - Circular economy
Elliott, R. (Co-Investigator), Lee, R. (Co-Investigator), Allan, P. (Co-Investigator), Slater, P. (Co-Investigator), Stolkin, R. (Co-Investigator), Walton, A. (Co-Investigator), Overton, T. (Co-Investigator), Reed, D. (Co-Investigator), Anderson, P. (Principal Investigator), Windridge, D. (Co-Investigator) & Gough, R. (Co-Investigator)
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council
1/03/18 → 30/06/21
Project: Research Councils

Cite this

@article{e6c0f09634ce4dd192d596980b5b39b1,

title = "Rapid prediction of electrolyte-based cell failure in retired Li-ion Electric Vehicle pouch cells",

abstract = "Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit sudden non-linear degradation (known as the cell knee point) in operating use, but a quick, simple, and industrially applicable method of predicting knee point failure remains elusive. Addressing this gap, we show for the first time that the Warburg coefficient (readily obtainable from EIS measurement) can predict electrolyte-based knee point failure, well before extreme capacity degradation, in retired electric vehicle pouch cells. The technique is found to be effective across a wide range of battery states of charge (SOC), and the information can be extracted from the pouch cells in only 10 seconds. In principle this enables early detection of electrolyte-based knee point failure within commercial electric vehicle cells if applied ex situ through offline diagnosis (energy storage system) within second life battery application systems, thus allowing greater predictability with regard to the remaining lifetime of the battery. ",

keywords = "Lithium-ion Battery, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Warburg Coefficient, Knee Point Prediction, State of Health",

author = "Attidekou, \{Pierrot S.\} and Zoran Milojevic and Luke Sweeney and Musbahu Muhammad and Mohamed Ahmeid and Simon Lambert and Slater, \{Peter R.\} and Anderson, \{Paul A.\}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2026 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd",

year = "2026",

month = feb,

day = "19",

doi = "10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Physics: Energy",

issn = "2515-7655",

publisher = "Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Rapid prediction of electrolyte-based cell failure in retired Li-ion Electric Vehicle pouch cells

AU - Attidekou, Pierrot S.

AU - Milojevic, Zoran

AU - Sweeney, Luke

AU - Muhammad, Musbahu

AU - Ahmeid, Mohamed

AU - Lambert, Simon

AU - Slater, Peter R.

AU - Anderson, Paul A.

PY - 2026/2/19

Y1 - 2026/2/19

N2 - Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit sudden non-linear degradation (known as the cell knee point) in operating use, but a quick, simple, and industrially applicable method of predicting knee point failure remains elusive. Addressing this gap, we show for the first time that the Warburg coefficient (readily obtainable from EIS measurement) can predict electrolyte-based knee point failure, well before extreme capacity degradation, in retired electric vehicle pouch cells. The technique is found to be effective across a wide range of battery states of charge (SOC), and the information can be extracted from the pouch cells in only 10 seconds. In principle this enables early detection of electrolyte-based knee point failure within commercial electric vehicle cells if applied ex situ through offline diagnosis (energy storage system) within second life battery application systems, thus allowing greater predictability with regard to the remaining lifetime of the battery.

AB - Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) exhibit sudden non-linear degradation (known as the cell knee point) in operating use, but a quick, simple, and industrially applicable method of predicting knee point failure remains elusive. Addressing this gap, we show for the first time that the Warburg coefficient (readily obtainable from EIS measurement) can predict electrolyte-based knee point failure, well before extreme capacity degradation, in retired electric vehicle pouch cells. The technique is found to be effective across a wide range of battery states of charge (SOC), and the information can be extracted from the pouch cells in only 10 seconds. In principle this enables early detection of electrolyte-based knee point failure within commercial electric vehicle cells if applied ex situ through offline diagnosis (energy storage system) within second life battery application systems, thus allowing greater predictability with regard to the remaining lifetime of the battery.

KW - Lithium-ion Battery

KW - Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

KW - Warburg Coefficient

KW - Knee Point Prediction

KW - State of Health

U2 - 10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829

DO - 10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829

M3 - Article

SN - 2515-7655

JO - Journal of Physics: Energy

JF - Journal of Physics: Energy

ER -

Rapid prediction of electrolyte-based cell failure in retired Li-ion Electric Vehicle pouch cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Recycling and Reuse of Lithium-ion Batteries 3a

Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 3

Recycling of Li-ion Batteries 2

ReLIB - Faraday Challenge Fast Track proposal - Circular economy

Cite this