LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have jointly developed a technology that suppresses gas generation and improves cycle life in lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries.

The company announced Monday that the results came out of a joint study with a research team led by Seoul National University professor Lim Jong-woo. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

LMR is a cathode material that lowers material costs by using relatively inexpensive manganese in place of cobalt. It can also achieve high energy density by using oxygen within the material to store energy. Reducing reliance on cobalt is a broader industry goal, as the metal is costly and its supply chain is concentrated in a small number of countries, making cobalt-free or cobalt-reduced cathodes a key focus for battery makers seeking cheaper cells for mass-market electric vehicles.

However, incomplete oxygen recovery during charging and discharging can damage a battery's internal structure and cause gas generation. The resulting pressure buildup can degrade performance in electric vehicle cells. Gas generation and poor cycle life have been among the main obstacles keeping LMR cathodes from widespread commercialization despite their cost advantages.

The researchers analyzed the oxidation-reduction behavior of oxygen under varying conditions and found that both the upper charging voltage and the lower discharging voltage affect oxygen recovery. When the upper charging voltage was lowered from 4.6 volts to 4.3 volts, the reduction rate of oxidized oxygen rose from 86 percent to 97 percent. In addition, the oxygen nearly returned to its original state at a discharge of 2.0 volts.

LG Energy Solution applied these findings to a 40Ah-class cell — a size used in commercial battery products — by redesigning its operating voltage range and lowering the temperature during the formation process, the initial conditioning step in cell manufacturing, to reduce gas generation. Notably, the improvement came from adjusting operating conditions rather than changing the cathode material itself. The optimized cell retained 92.2 percent of its initial energy after 883 charge-discharge cycles, demonstrating the stable cycle life of LMR materials.

"This study identified the cause of LMR battery degradation from the perspective of oxygen reversibility and showed that cell stability can be improved through electrochemical protocol design alone," Lim said.

An LG Energy Solution official said the study showed that gas generation can be suppressed while maintaining stable cycle life. "The findings will help advance the commercialization of LMR batteries," the official said. The company has previously pointed to LMR among the next-generation cathode chemistries it is developing as it competes with rivals in China and Japan to lower battery costs for EVs.