Formation decides which lithium ions survive in your battery.
Some ions move cleanly:
fully wetted → solvated → intercalated
Others get slowed, trapped, or consumed forming SEI before cycle 1 is even done.
That’s your lost capacity.
Most battery problems are transport problems in disguise.
![Electrode press density [g/cm3] is the mass of coated electrode material per unit volume after calendaring (compression). Image of a calendar roll.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5fzznx2fbf23gn22ryy5hebe/bafkreiejxncktxvopegxzuyupnltzdaod6zaz4jdn5p5e2bjcrqo5atxze)
![areal capacity = [mAh/cm2] The amount of charge a given area of electrode can store. Active material capacity/area of electrode. Directly impacts the total capacity of the cell.
Higher areal capacity = more energy
per cell.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5fzznx2fbf23gn22ryy5hebe/bafkreigl22kryj67mviv5oxiwegyap7wje4blj6focej5x273faanl2mju)
