LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University Open the Door to Commercializing Next-Generation LMR Batteries

LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have secured a key technology that can significantly improve the stability of next-generation lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries. On September 7 Seoul time , LG Energy Solution announced the results of a joint study with Professor Jongwoo Lim and his research team in Seoul National University's Department of Chemistry. The findings were published in Nature Communications, a prestigious international academic journal, and support the feasibility of applying LMR batteries to large-format cells for electric vehicles (EVs). Controlling oxygen reaction reversibility suppresses gas evolution, a key challenge to commercialization, laying the foundation for large-cell commercialization The joint research team identified factors contributing to gas generation and capacity degradation during LMR battery charging and discharging and developed optimal operating conditions for large-format cells to control these issues. LMR is a next-generation cathode material that can lower material costs by using lower-cost manganese as a primary material without using cobalt. It can achieve high energy density by storing energy through both transition metals, such as nickel and manganese, and oxygen in the cathode material. However, if oxygen oxidized during charging does not fully return to its original state during discharge, it can damage the battery's internal structure and generate gas. In large-format cells for EVs, where available internal space is limited, this can increase internal pressure and degrade performance. As a result, gas generation has been a key challenge in commercializing LMR batteries. The joint research team analyzed oxygen redox under different charging and discharging conditions and found that oxygen recovery depends on both the upper cutoff voltage during charging and the discharge cutoff voltage during discharge. In testing, lowering the upper charging voltage from 4.6 V to 4.3 V increased the reduction of oxidized oxygen from 86 percent to 97 percent. The team also confirmed that lowering the discharge cutoff voltage from the conventional 3.0 V to 2.0 V enabled oxygen to recover to nearly its original state. Based on these findings, LG Energy Solution researchers redesigned the operating voltage range and formation process conditions for 40Ah-class large-format LMR cells. They applied a lower-temperature formation process to effectively suppress gas generation associated with large-format cells. As a result, the optimized 40 Ah-class large-format LMR cells retained 92.2 percent of their initial energy even after 883 charge and discharge cycles. This outstanding cycle-life stability opens the path for the commercialization of LMR materials in large-format cells for EVs, expanding their potential beyond small-format applications. "This study identified the causes of degradation in LMR batteries from the perspective of oxygen reversibility and demonstrated that cell stability can be improved through electrochemical protocol design alone," said Professor Jongwoo Lim of Seoul National University. "We confirmed that achieving long-term stability in LMR batteries requires comprehensive consideration of not only charging conditions but also discharge conditions." "This research addresses one of the key challenges facing LMR batteries," said an LG Energy Solution spokesperson. "It demonstrates that stable battery life can be secured even in large-format cells by effectively suppressing gas generation, providing an important foundation for growth in the next-generation LMR battery m...