Process for the manufacture of a cathode active material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12577127-B2
Application number	US-202118247275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2021
Priority date	Oct 1, 2020
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Described herein is a process for manufacture of a cathode active material including the steps of
(a) providing a particulate electrode active material according to general formula Li 1+x TM 1−x O 2 , where TM is Ni and, optionally, at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ba, and transition metals other than Ni, and x is in a range of from −0.05 to 0.2, and where at least 50 mole-% of TM is Ni, (b) adding an aqueous medium that includes LiOH in dissolved form to the particulate electrode active material provided in step (a), (c) removing the liquid phase by a solid-liquid separation method, and (d) at least partially recycling the liquid phase from step (c) for use in a treatment step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A process for manufacture of a cathode active material comprising the steps of
(a) providing a particulate electrode active material according to general formula Li 1+x TM 1-x O 2 , wherein TM is Ni and, optionally, at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ba, and transition metals other than Ni, and x is in a range of from −0.02 to 0.2, and wherein at least 50 mole-% of TM is Ni, (b) adding an aqueous medium that comprises LiOH in dissolved form to the particulate electrode active material provided in step (a), (c) removing the liquid phase by a solid-liquid separation method, and (d) at least partially recycling the liquid phase from step (c) for use in a treatment step.

2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein TM is a combination of metals according to general formula (I)
(Ni a Co b Mn c ) 1-d M d   (I)
with a being in a range of from 0.6 to 0.99, b being zero or in a range of from 0.01 to 0.2, c being in a range of from zero to 0.2, and d being in a range of from zero to 0.1, M is at least one of Al, Mg, Nb, Ta, Ti, Mo, W and Zr, and a+b+c=1.

3 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid-liquid separation method in step (c) is a filtration.

4 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein an electric conductivity of the aqueous medium added in step (b) is in a range of from 0.8 to 80 mS/cm, determined at ambient temperature.

5 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein a concentration of LiOH of the aqueous medium added in step (b) is in a range of from 20 to 3,500 ppm by weight.

6 . The process according to claim 1 further comprising a subsequent step (e):
(e) treating the solid residue from step (c) thermally.

7 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium added in step (b) is obtained by diluting the liquid phase removed in step (c) with water and re-using said diluted liquid phase for treatment of an untreated particulate electrode active material.

8 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium added in step (b) is essentially free from compounds of Sb, Mg, Zn, Sn, and Te.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Han Zhenji
• Nakayama Jumpei
• Kashiwagi Junji
• Fukumitsu Hitoshi
• Rauscher Frank
• Erk Christoph
• Letzelter Thomas

Classifications

• 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

• H01M4/505

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

• C01P2006/40

  Electric properties · CPC title

• C01P2002/54

  one element only · CPC title