Cathode with pre-lithiation coating and methods for preparation and use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12418019-B2
Application number	US-201917414304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for a cathode material for lithium ion batteries. In one example, the cathode material may include a lithium mixed metal oxide core and a surface coating surrounding the core. Optionally, a passivating layer may continuously surround the surface coating. In some examples, the surface coating or surface layer may include a sacrificial lithium source, a lithium-based active cathode catalyst, or a combination thereof. In other examples, methods are provided for manufacturing the cathode material for use in a lithium ion battery.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cathode material for a lithium ion battery, comprising:
a lithiated compound core particle; and
a surface coating surrounding and adhered to the lithiated compound core particle, the surface coating comprising a sacrificial lithium source,
wherein the sacrificial lithium source is in the form of particles having a particle size distribution, the particle size distribution having a peak at or below 1 μm, and wherein a passivating layer surrounds the surface coating and the surface coating is between the lithiated compound core particle and the passivating layer.

2. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein the lithiated compound core is lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide or lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide.

3. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial lithium source is one or more of lithium peroxide, lithium oxide, lithium nitride, lithium aluminum oxide, and lithium iron oxide, and
wherein the surface coating further comprises one or more of lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.

4. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating further comprises a cathode catalyst.

5. The cathode material of claim 4 , wherein the cathode catalyst is a lithium mixed metal oxide, a lithium phosphate compound, a metal oxide, or a combination thereof.

6. The cathode material of claim 5 , wherein the cathode catalyst is cobalt tetraoxide.

7. The cathode material of claim 4 , wherein the cathode catalyst is a first lithium mixed metal oxide and the lithiated compound core is a second lithium mixed metal oxide, where the first lithium mixed metal oxide is the same as or different than the second lithium mixed metal oxide.

8. The cathode material of claim 4 , wherein the surface coating comprises a weight ratio of the sacrificial lithium source to the cathode catalyst of between 4:1 and 1:4.

9. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating completely covers a surface of the lithiated compound core particle.

10. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of the sacrificial lithium source particles is smaller than an average particle size of the lithiated compound core particles.

11. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein the passivating layer is ionically and electrically conducting.

12. The cathode material of claim 1 , wherein the passivating layer includes a polymer, carbon, ceramic, or zeolite.

13. A cathode material for a lithium ion battery, comprising:
a lithiated compound core particle; and
a surface coating surrounding and adhered to the lithiated compound core particle, the surface coating comprising a sacrificial lithium source; and
a passivation layer, wherein the surface coating is completely covered by the passivation layer and wherein the passivation layer is ionically and electrically conducting,
wherein the sacrificial lithium source is in the form of particles having a particle size distribution, the particle size distribution having a peak at or below 1 μm.

14. The cathode material of claim 13 , wherein the surface coating further comprises a cathode catalyst formed of particles having a smaller average particle size than an average particle size of the sacrificial lithium source.

15. The cathode material of claim 13 , wherein the surface coating further comprises a cathode catalyst and the cathode material includes more cathode catalyst than sacrificial lithium source, by weight.

Assignees

• A123 Systems Llc

Inventors

• Maxwell Derrick
• Zhu Xiangyang
• Wang Jun
• Yu Taehwan
• Zhou Weidong
• Jeong Sookyung
• Johnson Derek C
• Zhang Linghong
• Sun Kerui
• Reinsma Nathan
• Chen Xiaorui

Classifications

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• C01P2006/11

  Powder tap density · CPC title

• C01P2004/51

  Particles with a specific particle size distribution · CPC title