LG Energy Solution, in collaboration with Seoul National University’s research team led by Professor Lim Jong-woo, has developed a new technology to minimize gas generation and enhance the cycle life of lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries. This breakthrough, detailed in Nature Communications, focuses on optimizing the performance of LMR batteries, which use less expensive manganese as a cathode material.
Key Findings:
- Cost-Effective Materials: LMR batteries utilize manganese instead of cobalt, reducing material costs and achieving high energy density by leveraging oxygen within the material.
- Gas Generation Issue: Incomplete oxygen recovery during battery charging and discharging can damage cells and lead to gas production, reducing their effectiveness in electric vehicles.
- Optimization Insights: The researchers determined that both the upper charging voltage and the lower discharging voltage significantly influence oxygen recovery. Lowering the upper charging voltage from 4.6 volts to 4.3 volts increased oxidized oxygen reduction from 86% to 97%.
- Improved Cell Design: By adjusting the operating voltage range and lowering temperatures during formation, LG Energy Solution applied these findings to a 40Ah-class cell, resulting in reduced gas generation and enhanced battery stability.
- Cycle Life Results: The optimized cell maintained 92.2% of its initial energy after 883 charge-discharge cycles, illustrating the stability of LMR materials.
Professor Lim emphasized the significance of understanding oxygen reversibility in battery degradation and the potential to improve cell stability through careful electrochemical design. An LG Energy Solution official noted that these findings facilitate the commercialization of LMR batteries.
