Nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide and method and device for producing same, cathode active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and method for producing same, and non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10236510-B2
Application number	US-201816028479-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

To improve cycling characteristics of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery by obtaining a nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide having a sharp particle size distribution as a precursor, a slurry including a nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide obtained by continuously supplying an aqueous solution that includes at least nickel and cobalt, an ammonium ion donor aqueous solution and a caustic alkali aqueous solution to a reaction vessel and reacting, is continuously extracted and separated into a large particle size portion and s small particle size portion by classification, and the small particle size portion is continuously returned to the reaction vessel. As a result, a nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide is obtained that is expressed by the general formula: Ni 1−x−y Co x M y (OH) 2 (where, 0.05≤x≤0.50, 0≤y≤0.10, 0.05≤x+y≤0.50, and M is at least one kind of metal element selected from among Al, Mg, Mn, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga, and that satisfies the relationships (D50−D10)/D50≤0.30, and (D90−D50)/D50≤0.30 among D10, D50 and D90 of this composite hydroxide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining, in a reaction process, a nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide by continuously supplying an aqueous solution including nickel and cobalt, an aqueous solution including an ammonium ion donor, and a caustic alkali aqueous solution to a reaction vessel and causing a reaction;
(b) continuously extracting, in a separation process, a slurry that includes the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide from the reaction vessel, and separating the slurry into a large particle size portion and a small particle size portion by classification; and
(c) continuously returning, in a reflux process, the small particle size portion to the reaction vessel,
wherein the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide comprises
a general formula of Ni 1−x−y Co x M y (OH) 2 (where, 0.05≤x≤0.50, 0≤y≤0.10, 0.05≤x+y≤0.50, and M is at least one kind of metal element selected from among Al, Mg, Mn, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga,
an average particle size of within a range from 10 μm to 30 μm, and
(D50−D10)/D50≤0.30, and (D90−D50)/D50≤0.30 among D10, D50 and D90 of the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide has a tap density of 2.0 g/cm 3 or greater.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) is performed using a wet separation apparatus that uses centrifugal force.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising step (d) covering a surface area of the large particle size portion separated by the separation process with an added element M, wherein M is a metal selected from among Al, Mg, Mn, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga.

5. A method for producing a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) forming, in a mixing process, a lithium mixture by mixing the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide or a nickel-cobalt composite oxide,
the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide being produced by
(i) obtaining, in a reaction process, a nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide by continuously supplying an aqueous solution including nickel and cobalt, an aqueous solution including an ammonium ion donor, and a caustic alkali aqueous solution to a reaction vessel and causing a reaction;
(ii) continuously extracting, in a separation process, a slurry that includes the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide from the reaction vessel, and separating the slurry into a large particle size portion and a small particle size portion by classification; and
(iii) continuously returning, in a reflux process, the small particle size portion to the reaction vessel,
wherein the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide comprises
a general formula of Ni 1−x−y Co x M y (OH) 2 (where, 0.05≤x≤0.50, 0≤y≤0.10, 0.05≤x+y≤0.50, and M is at least one kind of metal element selected from among Al, Mg, Mn, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga,
an average particle size of within a range from 10 μm to 30 μm, and
(D50−D10)/D50≤0.30, and (D90−D50)/D50≤0.30 among D10, D50 and D90 of the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide,

the nickel-cobalt composite oxide being produced by
(iv) roasting the nickel-cobalt composite hydroxide in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of 300° C. to 700° C., and a lithium compound; and
(v) performing calcination, in a calcination process, of the lithium mixture in an oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of 600° C. to 850° C.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Metal Mining Co

Inventors

• Kase Katsuya
• Kamata Yasutaka
• Ryoshi Kazuomi

Classifications

• B01J2219/00033

  Continuous processes · CPC title

• C01G53/42

  containing alkali metals, e.g. LiNiO2 · CPC title

• H01M4/525 Primary

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/049

  Manufacturing of an active layer by chemical means · CPC title

• C01P2004/51

  Particles with a specific particle size distribution · CPC title