Lithium-ion batteries are used in various fields, from electric cars to portable electronic products, but the maximum capacity of these batteries decreases over time. The longer they are used and the more charge cycles they go through, the less energy they can hold. Lenovo once pointed out that many laptop batteries can last up to five years before running out of power, with roughly 300-500 charge cycles. Scientists also agree that the best commercial-grade batteries, using a nickel-cobalt-manganese mixed material NCM523 (cathode) and graphite (anode) as electrodes, only have a lifespan of around 8 years. However, a study suggests that using a new charging scheme can double the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries. A European research team from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt University in Berlin indicates that by optimizing cycling conditions, lithium-ion batteries could potentially last for decades. This means that the new charging scheme will greatly alleviate the pressure on battery manufacturing and recycling, saving costs for commercial production and creating a more sustainable future.；
The study was first published in the journal "Advanced Materials Science" on March 14 this year. Researchers designed a new charging protocol - supplying power to devices through pulsed current instead of constant current. After comparing the two charging protocols, researchers found that when charged with constant current, the solid electrolyte interface on the anode of the battery samples was significantly thicker, and there were more cracks in the electrode structure. This indicates a significant loss in lithium-ion battery capacity. However, with pulse charging, not only does it promote the uniform distribution of lithium ions in graphite, reducing mechanical stress and cracks in graphite particles, it also inhibits the degradation of the NCM523 cathode structure. This will increase the number of charging cycles that the battery can go through from about 500 with constant current to over 1000. Preliminary test results suggest that pulse charging can double the lifespan of commercial lithium-ion batteries while maintaining a capacity retention rate of over 80%. This study further confirms the previous idea in academia about pulsed current. In 2023, Professor of Particle Physics Josefin Strandberg of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden published a paper, finding that the health of lithium-ion batteries improved significantly when using a charging protocol based on pulsed current.
