NREL researchers are using state-of-the-art nano-CT imaging to reveal microscopic damage and hidden flaws in lithium-ion battery microstructures. Credit: Gregory Cooper/NREL The minerals that power lithium-ion batteries—including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite—are both highly valuable and difficult to come by. As battery storage capacity across the United States continues to grow, constraints on the mining, refining, and processing of key