Protocol Changes Cut Gas and Extend Life of Large-Format LMR EV Cells
Researchers showed that narrower charge/discharge voltages and a lower-temperature formation step boost oxygen reversibility in manganese-rich cathodes, creating a feasible path toward commercial EV use that still needs pack-level and manufacturing validation.
Overview
- LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University reported in Nature Communications on Monday that changing electrochemical protocols can control oxygen redox and suppress gas in LMR cells.
- The team found that lowering the upper charge cutoff from 4.6V to 4.3V and reducing the discharge cutoff from 3.0V to 2.0V raised oxygen reduction and recovery to nearly complete levels.
- Applying those voltage limits plus a lower-temperature formation to 40 Ah large-format cells produced 92.2 percent energy retention after 883 charge–discharge cycles.
- The result addresses a key failure mode in LMR cathodes—oxidized oxygen that does not fully revert during discharge creates internal gas and pressure that degrades large EV cells.
- While the study shows a materials-agnostic way to improve stability and lower battery cost by using manganese instead of cobalt, the teams say further safety testing, pack-level validation, scaleup and independent replication are required before commercial rollout.