Lithium ion battery for automotive application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10790510-B2
Application number	US-201716088893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A rechargeable lithium ion battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte, the positive electrode comprising a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder with particles comprising a core and a surface layer, the core having a layered crystal structure comprising the elements Li, M and oxygen, wherein M has the formula M=(Niz(Ni1/2Mn1/2)yCox)1-kAk, with 0.13≤x≤0.30, 0.20≤z≤0.55, x+y+z=1 and 0<k≤0.1, wherein A is at least one dopant and comprises Al, the lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder having a molar ratio 0.95≤Li:M≤0.10, wherein the surface layer consists of a mixture of elements of the core Li, M and O, and alumina, and wherein the electrolyte comprises the additive lithium difluorophosphate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rechargeable lithium ion battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and an electrolyte, the positive electrode comprising a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder with particles comprising a core and a surface layer, the core having a layered crystal structure comprising the elements Li, M and oxygen, wherein M has the formula M=(Ni z (Ni 1/2 Mn 1/2 ) y Co x ) 1-k A k , with 0.13≤x≤0.30, 0.20≤z<0.55, x+y+z=1 and 0<k≤0.1, wherein A is at least one dopant and comprises Al, wherein the Al content in the core is 0.3-3 mole %, and wherein the surface layer is delimited by an outer and an inner interface, the inner interface being in contact with the core, and wherein the surface layer has an Al content that increases from the Al content of the core at the inner interface to at least 4 mole % at the outer interface, the Al content being determined by XPS, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder having a molar ratio 0.95≤Li:M≤1.10, wherein the surface layer comprises a mixture of elements of the core Li, M and O and alumina, and wherein the electrolyte comprises the additive lithium difluorophosphate.

2. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the surface layer of the lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder particles further comprises LiF.

3. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 2 , wherein the core of the lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder particles has a F content of less than 0.05 mole %, and wherein the surface layer has an Al content that increases from the Al content of the core at the inner interface to at least 10 mole % at the outer interface, and a F content that increases from less than 0.05 mole % at the inner interface to at least 3 mole % at the outer interface, the Al and F contents being determined by XPS.

4. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the surface layer further comprises either one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of CaO, TiO 2 , MgO, WO 3 , ZrO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 and V 2 O 5 .

5. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , wherein for the lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder A=Al, k=0.005-0.013, x=0.20±0.02, y=0.40±0.05, z=0.40±0.05 and 1≤Li:M≤1.10.

6. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises between 0.5 and 2 wt % of lithium difluorophosphate.

7. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 6 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises up to 2 wt % of vinyl ethylene carbonate.

8. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 6 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises up to 2 wt % of one or more additives selected from the group consisting of lithium bis(oxalate)borate, vinylene carbonate and 1,3-propene sultone.

9. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a solvent comprising either one or more of EC, DEC or EMC.

10. The rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , the battery operating after charging to a final voltage >4.2V.

11. A method for preparing the rechargeable lithium ion battery of claim 1 , comprising:
incorporating a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder in a positive electrode, the powder comprising particles comprising a core and a surface layer, the core having a layered crystal structure comprising the elements Li, M and oxygen, wherein M has the formula M=(N z (Ni 1/2 Mn 1/2 ) y Co x ) 1-k A k , with 0.13≤x≤0.30, 0.20≤z<0.55, x+y+z=1 and 0<k≤0.1, wherein A is at least one dopant and comprises Al, the surface layer comprises a mixture of elements of the core Li, M and O, and the lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide-based powder having a molar ratio 0.95≤Li:M≤1.10,
providing a negative electrode,
providing an electrolyte comprising the additive lithium difluorophosphate, and
assembling the positive electrode, the negative electrode and the electrolyte in the battery.

Assignees

• Umicore Nv
• Umicore Korea Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jeong-Rae
• Kim Gyeong-Ok
• Xia Xin
• Zhang Jing

Classifications

• 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

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M10/0569

  characterised by the solvents · CPC title

• H01M10/0567

  characterised by the additives · CPC title