Asahi Techno Research Enhances In Situ Charge/Discharge Testing to Visualize Structural Changes in Battery Components

[May 29, 2026] Guided by the corporate philosophy of "constantly seeking new technology and knowledge, treating customers with sincerity, and never stopping progress," Asahi Techno Research Co., Ltd. (President: Osamu Banjo; Headquarters: Otake City, Hiroshima Prefecture), an expert group in environmental surveys and quality assurance analysis, has strengthened its contract analysis system using the "FE-SEM/EDS-Raman combined system" specialized for battery material evaluation. The company officially launched "in situ charge/discharge testing" to visualize the "structural changes" of battery components on May 29, 2026. In recent years, there has been a surge in demand for accurately grasping changes in material structure and chemical states at the micro-level for next-generation EV batteries and new material development. However, conventional analysis methods required separate equipment for morphological observation (SEM) and chemical state analysis (Raman), making it difficult to accurately evaluate correlations in the same field of view. To address this challenge, the company utilizes the "FE-SEM/EDS-Raman combined system," which is rarely held by domestic contract analysis firms, to provide one-stop battery material evaluation. Furthermore, by fully supporting "in situ charge/discharge observation," which allows real-time evaluation of structural changes under conditions close to actual use through SEM charge/discharge cycle testing, the company strongly supports the development of next-generation materials for major automakers and battery manufacturers. Three features of "FE-SEM/EDS-Raman Contract Analysis": ● Real-time evaluation through "in situ charge/discharge observation," which is extremely rare in Japan. It is possible to observe and analyze (in situ measurement) changes in electrodes and materials during charge/discharge in real-time while maintaining an atmosphere-non-exposed environment inside the scanning electron microscope (SEM) vacuum chamber. This initiative, which can evaluate the degradation and interface behavior of battery materials under actual usage environments at the nano-level, is highly rare in Japan and has already received significant interest and inquiries from research institutes and design departments of major manufacturers, who state that "data that is difficult to obtain from other companies can be obtained." ● Seamless simultaneous analysis of "morphology," "elements," and "chemical structure" in the same field of view. The company has introduced a groundbreaking system combining JEOL's "FE-SEM/JSM-IT810" and Oxford Instruments' "RISE Raman analysis." In the same field of view, high-spatial-resolution SEM images (morphology), EDS analysis (elements), and Raman analysis (compound form, crystallinity, stress, etc.) are acquired simultaneously. This clarifies the distribution of active materials and binders—which are sensitive to energy and prone to degradation—and the localization of degradation factors, realizing integrated material analysis in one stop. ● Guarantee of high-reliability data. The company supports sample processing in a "non-exposed environment" where it never touches the atmosphere, using a glove box and a cross-section polisher. Furthermore, by combining cooling processing (cryo-processing), it minimizes damage to electrode materials sensitive to air, moisture, oxygen, and humidity, enabling high-precision pre-processing while maintaining the material's original state. Future Outlook (Expansion into new fields such as pharmaceuticals and nanoplastics): While the company has cultivated advanced analytical technology centered on battery material evaluation, it is now leveraging that knowledge to advance applications in fields such as "nanoplastic" evaluation, which is of high interest to material manufacturers, as well as material evaluation in the pharmaceutical field and advanced material fields such as MOF (Metal-Organic Frameworks). The company will continue to contribute to Japanese manufacturing and technological innovation through cutting-edge analytical technology.