Powderous lithium cobalt-based oxide compound for rechargeable lithium ion batteries and a method for making thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11670769-B2
Application number	US-202016931501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2020
Priority date	Jul 23, 2019
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder comprising particles having a median particle size D50 of greater than or equal to 20 μm, preferably 25 μm, and less than or equal to 45 μm, said particles having an averaged circularity of greater than or equal to 0.85 and less than or equal to 1.00, said particles having a general formula Li1+aCo1-x-y-zAlxM′yMezO2, wherein M′ and Me comprise at least one element of the group consisting of: Ni, Mn, Nb, Ti, W, Zr, and Mg, with −0.01≤a≤0.01, 0.002≤x≤0.050, 0≤y≤0.020 and 0≤z≤0.050, said lithium cobalt-based oxide particles having a R-3m structure and (018) diffraction peak asymmetry factor AD(018) of greater than or equal to 0.85 and less than or equal to 1.15, said diffraction peak asymmetry factor being obtained by a synchrotron XRD spectrum analysis with an emission wavelength λ value equal to 0.825 Å.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder comprising particles having a median particle size D50 of greater than or equal to 20.00 μm and less than or equal to 45.00m, said particles having an averaged circularity of greater than or equal to 0.85 and less than or equal to 1.00, said particles having a general formula Li 1-a Co 1-x-y-z Al x M′ y Me z O 2 , wherein M′ and Me comprise at least one element of the group consisting of: Ni, Mn, Nb, Ti, W, Zr, and Mg, with −0.01≤a≤0.01, 0.002≤x≤0.050, 0≤y≤0.020 and 0≤z≤0.050, said lithium cobalt-based oxide particles having a R-3m structure and (018) diffraction peak asymmetry factor A D(018) of greater than or equal to 0.85 and less than or equal to 1.15, said diffraction peak asymmetry factor being obtained by a synchrotron XRD spectrum analysis with an emission wavelength λ value equal to 0.825 Å.

2. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 1 , having an averaged circularity of greater than or equal to 0.90 and less than or equal to 1.00.

3. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 1 , having a press density greater than or equal to 3.95 g/cm 3 and less than or equal to 4.40 g/cm 3 .

4. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 1 , having a volumetric capacity of at least 570 mAh/cm 3 and a specific floating capacity of at most 80 mAh/g.

5. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 4 , having a volumetric capacity of at least 570 mAh/cm 3 and of at most 700 mAh/cm 3 .

6. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 1 , having an A D(018) factor greater than or equal to 0.85 and of at most 1.00.

7. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 1 , wherein y and z=0.

8. The lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder of claim 1 , comprising particles having a median particle size D50 of greater than or equal to 25.00m.

9. A lithium-ion secondary battery comprising the lithium cobalt-based oxide cathode active material powder according to claim 1 .

10. An electronic device comprising the lithium-ion secondary battery according to claim 9 .

11. A process for manufacturing the cathode active material powder according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
preparing a first cathode active material powder having a general formula Li 1+a′ Co 1-x′-y′ Al x′ M′ y′ O 2 , M′ being at least one element of the group consisting of: Ni, Mn, Nb, Ti, W, Zr, and Mg, with 0.03≤a′≤0.10, 0.002≤x′≤0.050, and y′≤0.02,
mixing the first cathode active material powder with a first Co-bearing precursor and optionally, with a source of Me, to prepare a first mixture, wherein the Li to (Co+Al+M′) or the Li to (Co+Al+M′+Me) molar ratio in said mixture is greater than or equal to 0.99 and less than or equal to 1.01, and
sintering said first mixture at a temperature of greater than or equal to 800° C. and less than or equal to 1100° C., so as to obtain a first sintered agglomerated powder and milling and screening said first sintered agglomerated powder so as to obtain the cathode active material powder according to claim 1 .

12. A process according to claim 11 , said process comprising the steps of:
preparing a second mixture comprising: a Li source, a second Co-bearing precursor, optionally a M′ source, and an Al source, said second mixture having a Li to (Co+Al+M′) molar ratio greater than or equal to 1.03 and less than or equal to 1.10, or
preparing a third mixture of: a Li source, a second Co, Al-bearing, and optionally M′-bearing, precursor, said third mixture having a Li to (Co+Al+M′) molar ratio greater than or equal to 1.03 and less than or equal to 1.10,
sintering said second or said third mixture at a temperature of greater than or equal to 950° C. and less than or equal to 1100° C., during a period of at least 5 hours in an oxygen containing atmosphere such as air, so as to obtain a second sintered agglomerated powder, and
milling and screening the second sintered agglomerated powder so as to obtain the first cathode active material powder.

13. A process according to claim 12 , wherein the oxygen containing atmosphere for sintering said second or said third mixture is air.

14. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the second Co-bearing precursor has a D50 greater than or equal to 20.00m and less than or equal to 45.00m.

Assignees

• Umicore Nv
• Umicore Korea Ltd

Inventors

• Song Kyeongse
• Blangero Maxime

Classifications

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• C01P2004/32

  Spheres · CPC title

• C01G51/42 Primary

  containing alkali metals, e.g. LiCoO2 · 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

• C01P2002/52

  containing elements as dopants · CPC title