Researchers Discover that ‘Constant Pressure’ Could Double the Lifespan of Lithium Batteries

For decades, efforts to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries have focused on tweaking the chemical composition of electrodes, developing new electrolytes, or exploring alternative materials.

However, a team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge has demonstrated that the key to substantially extending the lifespan of these batteries might lie in a much simpler factor: constant physical pressure.

The study, published in the prestigious journal Nature Energy under the title “The interplay between stack pressure, mechanical expansion and degradation pathways in lithium-ion batteries,” reveals that maintaining uniform and constant pressure on the cells during charge and discharge cycles can double their useful life.

This level of improvement is exceptional in the field of battery development, where modifications in composition typically translate into gains of only 5% to 10%.

Michael De Volder, from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering and co-director of the research, explained his team’s approach: “A lot of the work to improve lithium-ion batteries is done by chemists and physicists, but as a mechanical engineer, I also wanted to investigate the role that mechanics play.” This interdisciplinary perspective allowed them to address a problem that had remained in the background: the physical expansion and contraction that batteries undergo during operation.

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The Mechanism Behind the Discovery

To understand the phenomenon, it is necessary to recall that a lithium-ion battery is essentially composed of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. During each charge and discharge cycle, lithium ions travel from the anode to the cathode and vice versa, causing the battery to physically expand and contract in a manner similar to a breathing process. “Batteries don’t typically like this stress-and-release cycle,” noted De Volder.

This constant movement generates mechanical stresses that, over time, accelerate degradation processes and shorten the device’s lifespan.

To study this effect, the researchers built a custom device that applies pressure to a type of cell known as a pouch cell using pneumatic bellows—small air-inflated cushions that act as a self-adjusting clamp. These bellows maintain continuous pressure while a sensor monitors the minute volume changes that occur during charging and discharging.

What is most remarkable about Cambridge’s approach is that the researchers did not alter the internal chemistry of the cells at all.

“We bought commercial batteries and tested them to measure their lifespan under different pressures,” explained De Volder. “We didn’t have to change anything about their electrolyte or the composition of their electrodes.”

The Goldilocks Zone: 12.5 Bars

One of the most relevant findings of the study is that the pressure cannot be either too high or too low. The researchers identified a “Goldilocks zone” around 12.5 bars of constant pressure.

This figure is roughly equivalent to four times the standard pressure applied in conventional coin cells. Outside this optimal range, the batteries fail more quickly.

The study demonstrates that different degradation mechanisms emerge outside the optimal pressure window: low pressure accelerates cathode cracking, while high pressure promotes lithium plating on the anode.

“If you press too hard, the anode isn’t happy. If you don’t press enough, the cathode starts to degrade,” summarized De Volder. “Our experiments identified what the ‘happy place’ is for batteries with respect to pressure.”

The results obtained with graphite ‖ LiNi₀.₈Mn₀.₁Co₀.₁O₂ (NMC811) cells—a battery chemistry of great industrial relevance—confirm that doubling the initial pressure over typical values allows doubling the cells’ lifespan without altering the active materials or the electrolytes.

Implications for Industry and the Environment

The findings, though still in the lab phase, could have significant implications for the electric vehicle market, which is experiencing rapid growth. The ability to double the lifespan of batteries would not only benefit vehicle owners but would also have a major impact on the second-hand market, where battery longevity is a determining factor for vehicle resale value.

The technology will require a scaling process for application in commercial batteries. However, the University of Cambridge has already taken a key step in this direction: Cambridge Enterprise, the university’s technology transfer office, has filed a patent to protect the invention.

The study suggests that many lithium-ion batteries currently operate under suboptimal pressure conditions, unnecessarily shortening their useful life.

Optimizing stack pressure thus presents itself as a practical solution to increase battery cycle stability without needing to redesign their internal chemistry. The researchers identify that different degradation mechanisms are coupled to mechanical and electrochemical factors, and that optimal pressure can prevent both cathode cracking and the formation of metallic deposits on the anode.

This knowledge opens the door to new designs of clamping systems for battery packs that maintain constant pressure throughout the entire service life of the device.

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