Mono-grain cathode materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12249707-B2
Application number	US-202217886096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2022
Priority date	Aug 21, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

Methods of making such compounds, powders, and cathode active materials are described. The powders are formed of particles with specific properties: a particle size distribution with a D50 ranging from 10 μm to 20 μm, a D10 less than 8 μm, and a D99 of the particles ranges from 25 μm to 35 μm. The final compound is represented by the Formula Liα(Co1-x-y-zMnxMezAly)Oδ, wherein 0.95<α<1.05, x≤1.00, 0<y≤0.04, 0<z≤0.050, and δ≈2.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of making the cathode material, comprising:
forming metal oxide precursors and/or hydroxide precursors, wherein the metal oxide precursors and/or hydroxide precursors have a tap density of at least 1.8 g/cc;
calcinating a mixture of the metal oxide precursors and/or hydroxide precursors and lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) at a first elevated temperature for a first period of time to produce a first plurality of particles, wherein the particles comprise a compound representing by Formula: Li α (Co 1-x-y-z Mn x Me z Al y )O δ , where 0.95<α<1.05, x≤1.00, 0≤y≤0.04, 0<z≤0.05, and δ≈2, wherein Me is Ni;
milling the first plurality of particles to form a second plurality of milled particles;
coating the second plurality of milled particles with a Al 2 O 3 coating;
annealing the second plurality of milled particles at a second elevated temperature for a second period of time; and
calendering or further milling the annealed second plurality of milled particles to form a third plurality of pressed particles,
wherein a D50 of the metal oxide precursors and/or hydroxide precursors is at least 7 μm.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein Me is Ni, the Formula is Li α (Co 1-x-y-z Mn x Ni z Al y )O δ .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first period of time is at least 15 hours.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first elevated temperature is at least 950° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second period of time is 8 hours.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second elevated temperature is at least 750° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a delta D50 between the third plurality of pressed particles and the second plurality of milled particles is less than 12%.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a delta D99 between the third plurality of pressed particles and the second plurality of milled particles is less than 40%.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a D50 of the second plurality of milled particles ranges from 15 μm to 20 μm.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a D90 of the second plurality of milled particles ranges from 20 μm to 30 μm, and a D99 of the second plurality of milled particles ranges from 25 μm to 35 μm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a D10 of the second plurality of milled particles is less than 8 μm.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Dai Hongli
• Wu Huiming
• Wang Dapeng
• Carter John David
• Li Yan
• Vu Anh D
• Wang Xiaoping
• Johnson Christopher S
• Xu Rui
• Yang Zhenzhen
• Cui Yanjie
• Gilbert James A
• Kropf Arthur Jeremy
• Iddir Hakim H

Classifications

• H01M4/0435

  Rolling or calendering · CPC title

• H01M4/0471

  involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis · CPC title

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/525

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

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title