According to the scientists, the cracks that affect batteries’ physical structure and, thus, their ability to store energy, are produced during the charge/discharge cycles.
“A big drawback to packing in more energy is that generally, the more energy you pack in, the faster the battery will degrade,” lead researcher Toby Bond said in a media statement.
Bond explained that in lithium-ion batteries, degradation occurs because charging physically forces lithium ions between other atoms in the electrode material, pushing them apart. Adding more charge causes more growth in the materials, which shrink back down when the lithium ions leave. Over many cycles of this growing and shrinking, micro-cracks begin to form in the material, slowly reducing its ability to hold a charge.
