A visitor looks at Samsung SDI’s fifth-generation battery for electric cars at the InterBattery 2021 at COEX in Seoul on June 9, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korea Institute of Science and Technology said Tuesday its research team had identified the cause of the sharp decline in the life of electric vehicle (EV) batteries using manganese-based spinel cathode materials.
These findings are expected to greatly contribute to increasing the potential for commercialization.
Thus far, it was accepted as a kind of established theory by the academic community that Mn3+, created during the charging and discharging process of manganese-based spinel cathode materials, distorts the crystal structure of materials, leading to the elution of manganese into electrolytes, thus resulting in decreased life of cathode materials.
The research team, however, discovered that if the range of driving voltage for fuel cells is adjusted, cathode materials maintain an excellent lifespan even if Mn3+ is formed.
To elucidate such a phenomenon, which cannot be covered by existing theories, the research team used highly advanced analytic technology, including the radiation beam accelerator technique.
With these techniques, the researchers clarified that the negative interface reaction between cathode materials and electrolytes that occurs during the repeated process of charging and discharging causes a reduction in EV battery life.
The research team presented the strategy of greatly improving the life of manganese-based materials through the stabilization of cathode material-electrolyte interfaces.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
