Process for making a partially coated electrode active material, and electrode active material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11942634-B2
Application number	US-201916963714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2019
Priority date	Feb 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A process for making a partially coated electrode active material may involve: (a) providing an electrode active material of the formula Li1+xTM1−xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ti, Mo, W, and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, wherein at least 60 mole-% of the transition metal of TM is Ni, and wherein the electrode active material has a residual moisture content in the range of from 50 to 1,000 ppm; (b) treating the electrode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal halide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound; (c) treating the material obtained in (b) with moisture; and (d) repeating the sequence of (b) and (c) twice to 4 times, wherein, in the last sequence of (b) and (c), moisture is at least partially substituted by ozone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for making a non-homogeneously coated electrode active material, the process comprising:
(a) treating an electrode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal halide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound, to obtain a material;
(b) treating the material obtained in (b) with moisture; and
(c) repeating the treating (a) and the treating (b) twice to 4 times, wherein in a last sequence of the treating (a) and the treating (b), moisture is at least partially substituted by ozone,
wherein the electrode active material subjected to the treating has a formula
Li 1+x TM 1−x O 2 ,

wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co, and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, Al, Ti, Mo, W, and/or Zr in metallic form, and x is in a range of from zero to 0.2,
wherein at least 60 mole-% of a transition metal of TM is Ni, and
wherein the electrode active material has a residual moisture content in a range of from 50 to 1,000 ppm.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the TM is a combination of metals having a formula (I)
(Ni a Co b Mn c ) 1−d M d   (I),

wherein
a is in a range of from 0.6 to 0.95,
b is in a range of from 0.025 to 0.2,
c is in a range of from 0.025 to 0.2,
d is in a range of from zero to 0.1,
M is Al, and
a+b+c=1.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the treating (a) is performed in a rotary kiln, a free fall mixer, a continuous vibrating bed, or a fluidized bed.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl metal compound is used in the treating (b) and is trimethylaluminum.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein each flushing between the treating (a) and the treating (b) has a duration in a range of from 30 seconds to one hour.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the treating (a), the treating (b), and the repeating (c), are performed in a free-fall mixer.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the treating (a), the treating (b), and the repeating (c), are performed in a fluidized bed.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM is Ni 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 .

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein, in the last sequence of the treating (a) and the treating (b), moisture is fully replaced by ozone.

10. A particulate electrode active material, having a formula
Li 1+x TM 1−x O 2 ,
wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co, and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, Al, Ti, Mo, W, and/or Zr, and x is in a range of from zero to 0.2,
wherein at least 60 mole-% of a transition metal of TM is Ni,
wherein an outer surface of particles of the particulate electrode active material is non-homogeneously coated with acidic aluminum oxyhydroxide or acidic alumina.

11. The material of claim 10 wherein the TM is Ni 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 , Ni 0.7 Co 0.2 Mn 0.1 , or Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 .

12. A lithium ion battery, comprising the material of claim 10 .

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl metal compound is used in the treating (b) and is triethylaluminum.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM is Ni 0.7 Co 0.2 Mn 0.1 .

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM is Ni 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 .

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM is Ni 0.85 Co 0.1 Mn 0.05 .

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM of the electrode active material comprises the Mn.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM of the electrode active material comprises the Al.

19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the TM of the electrode active material comprises the Ti.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Haag Jacob
• Ahlf Maraike
• Sommer Heino

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

• C01F7/02

  Aluminium oxide; Aluminium hydroxide; Aluminates · CPC title

• H01M4/131

  Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/1391

  of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title