Nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468680-B2
Application number	US-201515505073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 28, 2014
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

To show an LNCAO-type positive electrode active material for a lithium ion battery having a high discharge capacity per unit volume and excellent discharging capacity-holding properties.
Nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder includes a nickel-lithium metal composite oxide represented by General Formula (1) described below:

Li x Ni 1-y-z M y N z O 1.7-2.2   (1),
in which the breakdown strength of secondary particles is in a range of 80 MPa or less, the density is 3.30 g/cm 3 or higher when compressed at a pressure of 192 MPa, and the density is 3.46 g/cm 3 or higher when compressed at a pressure of 240 MPa. A method for producing the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder includes a water washing step after a firing step for producing a nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder precursor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder comprising: a nickel-lithium metal composite oxide represented by General Formula (1) described below:
Li x Ni 1-y-z M y N z O 1.7-2.2   (1)

in Formula (1), M represents one or more metal elements selected from a group consisting of Co, Mn, Fe, and Cu, N represents one or more metal elements selected from a group consisting of Al, W, Ta, and B, 0.90<x<1.10, 0.01<y<0.15, and 0.005<z<0.10, wherein the breakdown strength of secondary particles is in a range of 80 MPa or less, the density is 3.30 g/cm 3 or higher when compressed at a pressure of 192 MPa and the density is 3.46 g/cm 3 or higher when compressed at a pressure of 240 MPa,
wherein, when 2 g of the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide represented by General Formula (1) is dispersed in 100 g of water, a supernatant has a hydrogen ion concentration of 11.0 or lower in terms of pH and has a content of LiOH of 0.1% by weight or less.

2. The nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 1 ,
wherein M in General Formula (1) is Co.

3. The nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 1 ,
wherein N in General Formula (1) is Al.

4. The nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in General Formula (1), M is Co, and N is Al.

5. A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion battery, comprising:
the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 1 .

6. A positive electrode for a lithium ion battery,
wherein the positive electrode active material for a lithium ion battery according to claim 5 is used.

7. A lithium ion battery,
wherein the positive electrode for a lithium ion battery according to claim 6 is used.

8. A method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder including a nickel-lithium metal composite oxide represented by General Formula (1) described below:
Li x Ni 1-y-z M y N z O 1.7˜2.2   (1)

in Formula (1), M represents one or more metal elements selected from a group consisting of Co, Mn, Fe, and Cu, N represents one or more metal elements selected from a group consisting of Al, W, Ta, and B, 0.90<x<1.10, 0.01<y<0.15, and 0.005<z<0.10,
wherein the breakdown strength of secondary particles is in a range of 80 MPa or less,
the density is 3.30 g/cm 3 or higher when compressed at a pressure of 192 MPa, and
the density is 3.46 g/cm 3 or higher when compressed at a pressure of 240 MPa, comprising:
a water washing step after a firing step for producing a nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder precursor.

9. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein, when 2 g of the obtained nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder is dispersed in 100 g of water, a supernatant has a hydrogen ion concentration of 11.0 or lower in terms of pH and has a content of LiOH of 0.1% by weight or less.

10. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein M in General Formula (1) is Co.

11. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein N in General Formula (1) is Al.

12. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein, in General Formula (1), M is Co, and N is Al.

13. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein, in the water washing step, the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide is washed with water having a weight that is 10% to 300% of the weight of the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide.

14. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein, in the water washing step, the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide is washed with water having a weight that is 50% to 100% of the weight of the nickel-lithium metal composite oxide.

15. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a dehydration step after the water washing step.

16. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 15 ,
wherein, in the dehydration step, dehydration through filtration is carried out.

17. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 15 ,
wherein, in the dehydration step, dehydration through filtration and vacuum drying are carried out.

18. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 , further comprising:
the dehydration step after the water washing step and a firing step after the dehydration step.

19. The method for producing nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder according to claim 8 ,
wherein the firing step for producing a nickel-lithium metal composite oxide powder precursor is carried out after a powder-mixing step coming after a dissolution step, a precipitation step, a filtration and washing step, and a drying step of a raw material.

Assignees

• Umicore Nv

Inventors

• Tani Hiroshi
• Otterstedt Ralph

Classifications

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• B22F2301/054

  Alkali metals, i.e. Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr · CPC title

• B22F2301/15

  Nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• H01M4/02

  Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material · CPC title

• C01G53/42

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