X-ray-based determining of weights for coated substrates

1. A measurement apparatus, comprising:

an x-ray sensor including an x-ray source having a high voltage power supply coupled thereto for emitting an x-ray spectrum of x-rays and an x-ray detector for providing a measured x-ray signal value responsive to the x-rays received after being transmitted through a coated substrate comprising a sheet material including a coating material thereon;

a second sensor comprising a beta gauge or an infrared (IR) sensor for providing a second sensor signal that includes data for obtaining a weight measure for the coated substrate comprising a total weight per unit area of the coated substrate or a total weight per unit area of the sheet material, and

a computing device coupled to receive the measured x-ray signal value and the second sensor signal that includes a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to implement an x-ray based calculation that utilizes absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material, the measured x-ray signal value, the x-ray spectrum, and the weight measure as a calculation constraint, for computing at least a weight per unit area of the coating material,

wherein:

the processor is further configured to calculate a predicted x-ray signal value that utilizes the absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material, the x-ray spectrum, and a composition for the coating material, and

wherein the x-ray based calculation comprises an iterative constrained x-ray based calculation that proceeds automatically with comparisons of the measured x-ray signal value to the predicted x-ray signal value, the iterative constrained x-ray based calculation comprising:

beginning with an initial weight per unit area for the coating material, calculating an initial predicted x-ray signal value, then comparing the initial predicted x-ray signal value to the measured x-ray sensor signal value, and

when the initial predicted x-ray signal value is determined to not sufficiently match the measured x-ray sensor signal value, adjusting the weight per unit area for the coating material upwards in a case the measured x-ray signal value is too high relative to the initial predicted x-ray signal value or adjusts the weight per unit area for the coating material down in a case the measured x-ray signal value is too low relative to the initial predicted x-ray signal value, and then recalculating an updated predicted x-ray signal value, and repeating the comparing of the updated predicted x-ray signal value with the measured x-ray signal value, and

repeating the adjusting of the weight per unit area of the coating material until a final predicted x-ray signal value is determined to sufficiently match the measured x-ray sensor signal value.

2. The measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor further utilizes a reference calibration measurement in the x-ray based calculation.

3. The measurement apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reference calibration measurement comprises a known basis weight measurement from a calibration sheet comprising a material similar to or identical to the coating material that is used to apply corrections to correct the x-ray spectrum.

4. The measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises the beta gauge.

5. The measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises the IR sensor, and wherein the weight measure comprises the weight per unit area of the sheet material.

6. The measurement apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray sensor and the second sensor are within a same scanner head that is configured for scanning over the coated substrate.

7. A method, comprising:

providing an x-ray sensor including an x-ray source having a high voltage power supply coupled thereto for emitting an x-ray spectrum of x-rays and an x-ray detector for providing a measured x-ray signal value responsive to the x-rays received after being transmitted through a coated substrate comprising a sheet material including a coating material thereon, and a second sensor comprising a beta gauge or an infrared (IR) sensor for providing a second sensor signal that includes data for obtaining a weight measure for the coated substrate comprising a total weight per unit area of the coated substrate or a total weight per unit area of the sheet material, and

utilizing an x-ray based calculation that uses absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material, the measured x-ray signal value, the x-ray spectrum, and the weight measure as a calculation constraint, to compute at least a weight per unit area of the coating material,

wherein the method is further configured to calculate a predicted x-ray signal value that utilizes the absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material, the x-ray spectrum of x-rays, and a composition for the coating material, and

wherein the x-ray based calculation comprises an iterative constrained x-ray based calculation that proceeds automatically with comparisons of the measured x-ray signal value to the predicted x-ray signal value, the iterative constrained x-ray based calculation comprising:

beginning with an initial weight per unit area for the coating material, calculating an initial predicted x-ray signal value, then comparing the initial predicted x-ray signal value to the measured x-ray sensor signal value, and

when the initial predicted x-ray signal value is determined to not sufficiently match the measured x-ray sensor signal value, adjusting the weight per unit area for the coating material upwards in a case the measured x-ray signal value is too high relative to the initial predicted x-ray signal value or adjusts the weight per unit area for the coating material down in a case the measured x-ray signal value is too low relative to the initial predicted x-ray signal value, and then recalculating an updated predicted x-ray signal value, and repeating the comparing of the updated predicted x-ray signal value with the measured x-ray signal value, and

repeating the adjusting of the weight per unit area of the coating material until a final predicted x-ray signal value is determined to sufficiently match the measured x-ray sensor signal value.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising utilizing a reference calibration measurement in the x-ray based calculation, wherein the reference calibration measurement comprises a known basis weight measurement from a calibration sheet comprising a material similar or identical to the coating material that is used to apply corrections to correct the x-ray spectrum.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the coated substrate comprises a separator membrane configured for a lithium ion battery (LiB), wherein the coating material comprises a high-z material, and wherein the sheet material comprises a polymer.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the x-ray spectrum is calculated from fundamental physics, and wherein the absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material are obtained from a public database.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second sensor comprises the beta gauge.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second sensor comprises the IR sensor, and wherein the weight measure comprises the weight per unit area of the sheet material.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the x-ray sensor and the second sensor are within a same scanner head that is configured for scanning over the coated substrate, further comprising scanning over the coated substrate while performing the method.

14. A measurement apparatus, comprising:

an x-ray sensor including an x-ray source having a high voltage power supply coupled thereto for emitting an x-ray spectrum of x-rays and an x-ray detector for providing a measured x-ray signal value responsive to the x-rays received after being transmitted through a coated substrate comprising a sheet material including a coating material thereon;

a beta gauge for providing a second sensor signal that includes data for obtaining a total weight per unit area for the coated substrate, and

a computing device coupled to receive the measured x-ray signal value and the total weight per unit area for the coated substrate including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is configured to implement an x-ray based calculation that utilizes absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material, the measured x-ray signal value, the x-ray spectrum, and the total weight per unit area for the coated substrate as a calculation constraint, for computing a weight per unit area of the coating material and a weight per unit area of the sheet material,

wherein:

the processor is further configured to calculate a predicted x-ray signal value that utilizes the absorption coefficients for the coating material and for the sheet material, the x-ray spectrum, and a composition for the coating material, and

wherein the x-ray based calculation comprises an iterative constrained x-ray based calculation that proceeds automatically with comparisons of the measured x-ray signal value to the predicted x-ray signal value, the iterative constrained x-ray based calculation comprising:

beginning with an initial weight per unit area for the coating material, calculating an initial predicted x-ray signal value, then comparing the initial predicted x-ray signal value to the measured x-ray sensor signal value, and

when the initial predicted x-ray signal value is determined to not sufficiently match the measured x-ray sensor signal value, adjusting the weight per unit area for the coating material upwards in a case the measured x-ray signal value is too high relative to the initial predicted x-ray signal value or adjusts the weight per unit area for the coating material down in a case the measured x-ray signal value is too low relative to the initial predicted x-ray signal value, and then recalculating an updated predicted x-ray signal value, and repeating the comparing of the updated predicted x-ray signal value with the measured x-ray signal value, and

repeating the adjusting of the weight per unit area of the coating material until a final predicted x-ray signal value is determined to sufficiently match the measured x-ray sensor signal value.