LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University Secure Key Technology for Next-Generation LMR Battery Commercialization

Securing Technology to Resolve and Control Gas Generation Issues
Maintaining 92.2% of Initial Energy After Operation of 40Ah-Class Large-Format Cells

LG Energy Solution and Seoul National University have secured a key technology that can resolve the issue of gas generation, which has hindered the commercialization of next-generation lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries.

The LG Energy Solution LMR battery unveiled at 'InterBattery 2026'. LG Energy Solution

On September 7, LG Energy Solution announced that, through joint research with a team led by Chemistry Professor Jongwoo Lim at Seoul National University, they had achieved results that significantly improve the applicability of LMR batteries to large-format cells for electric vehicles.

The outcomes of this research have been recognized for both their technological achievement and academic value, and were published in the international journal Nature Communications.

The joint research team identified the causes of gas evolution and capacity fading during the charge and discharge cycles of LMR batteries, and developed optimal operating conditions for large-format cells that allow these issues to be controlled.

LMR is a next-generation cathode material that can drastically reduce material costs by using low-cost manganese instead of cobalt as a primary ingredient. In addition to transition metals such as nickel and manganese, it also utilizes oxygen within the material for energy storage, which allows for a higher energy density.

However, if the oxidized oxygen during charging is not fully restored during the discharge process, it can cause structural damage and gas evolution within the battery. In large-format cells for electric vehicles, where internal space is limited, this leads to increased internal pressure and performance degradation, presenting a major barrier to the commercialization of LMR batteries.

The joint research team conducted a precise analysis of the oxidation and reduction behavior of oxygen under different charge and discharge conditions, discovering that the key variables affecting oxygen restoration are not only the upper voltage limit during charging, but also the lower voltage limit during discharging.

In practice, when the upper charging voltage was reduced from 4.6V to 4.3V, the reduction rate of oxidized oxygen significantly increased from 86% to 97%. They also confirmed that when discharging is extended to 2.0V instead of the conventional 3.0V, the oxygen nearly returns to its original state.

Based on these analytical results, the LG Energy Solution research team redesigned the operating voltage window and formation (activation) process conditions for a 40Ah-class large-format LMR cell. In particular, they incorporated a process to lower the temperature during the activation stage, which effectively suppressed gas generation characteristic of large-format cells.

As a result, the optimized 40Ah-class large-format LMR cell retained 92.2% of its initial energy even after 883 charge-discharge cycles, proving its long-term stability. This is highly significant, as it demonstrates the potential for LMR materials to be commercialized at the large-format cell level suitable for actual electric vehicle use, not just in small cells.

Professor Jongwoo Lim of Seoul National University stated, "This research has identified the causes of LMR battery degradation from the perspective of oxygen reversibility and demonstrated that cell stability can be improved by designing electrochemical protocols. It confirmed that long-term stability of LMR batteries can only be achieved by comprehensively considering not just charging, but also discharging conditions."

An LG Energy Solution representative commented, "This study demonstrates that the major issue of gas generation in LMR batteries can be effectively suppressed, ensuring stable battery lifespan even in large-format cells. This represents an important stepping stone for accelerating growth in the next-generation LMR battery market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.