Producing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and many other devices is complex and time-consuming.
Additionally, high-current initial charges can significantly shorten manufacturing time.
The researchers admit that the many factors involved in production usually make testing each one prohibitively slow.
The experiment tested 186 batteries rated with the same aging cycle using 62 production strategies.
Furthermore, a high-current charge takes around 20 minutes, while traditional processes take up to 10 hours.
Using higher-than-normal temperatures during formation also makes batteries more resilient, though for different reasons.
After extended charging and recharging, lithium-ion batteries gradually lose the ability to retain energy.
Therefore, researchers and manufacturers have spent years searching for paths toward longer-lasting batteries.
In April, another team of researchers proposed a charging method that mightdoublea lithium-ion battery’s lifespan.
Candidates include liquid metal, zinc-bromine, sodium-ion, calcium-oxygen, potassium-ion, water, and silicate rocks.
Sodium-ion is particularly promising, partially due to being cheaper and far more abundant than lithium.
A China-based Volkswagen subsidiaryintroducedthe first sodium-ion-powered EV last year.
Meanwhile, US company Natron Energy recentlyannouncedplans for a sodium-ion battery gigafactory in North Carolina.
