Positive electrode active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and method for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017207453-A1
Application number	US-201515329599-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Jul 20, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a positive electrode active material that is capable of improving output characteristics when used as positive electrode material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. A lithium mixture that is obtained by adding and mixing a lithium compound to a transition metal composite hydroxide that was obtained from a crystallization reaction undergoes calcination in an atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of 4% by volume or greater. In this calcination process, carbon dioxide gas concentration in the atmosphere while the temperature is maintained at a calcination temperature is kept at 10% by volume or less, and preferably kept at 0.01% by volume to 10% by volume. As a result, positive electrode active material is obtained that includes a lithium transition metal composite oxide that is composed of secondary particles that are formed from aggregates of plural primary particles, and that has a carbon content of 0.010% by mass to 0.100% by mass.

First claim

1 . A production method for a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that includes a lithium transition metal composite oxide that is composed of secondary particles that are formed from aggregates of plural primary particles, the method comprising:
a mixing process of obtaining a lithium mixture by adding and mixing a lithium compound with a transition metal composite hydroxide that was obtained from a crystallization reaction or with heat-treated particles obtained by performing a heating process on the transition metal composite hydroxide; and a calcination process of performing calcination of the lithium mixture in an atmosphere having an oxygen concentration of 4% by volume or greater; wherein in the calcination process, carbon dioxide gas concentration in the atmosphere while the temperature is maintained at a calcination temperature is kept at 10% by volume or less.

2 . The production method for a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary according to claim 1 , wherein lithium carbonate is used as the lithium compound.

3 . The production method for a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary according to claim 1 , wherein lithium hydroxide or lithium nitrate is used as the lithium compound, and the carbon dioxide gas concentration is 0.01% by volume or greater.

4 . The production method for a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary according to claim 1 , wherein the lithium transition metal composite oxide has a composition that is expressed by a general expression (A): Li 1+u Ni x Mn y Co z M t O 2 (where −0.05≦u≦0.20, x+y+z+t=1, 0.5≦x<0.7, 0≦y≦0.55, 0≦z≦0.4, 0≦t≦0.1, and M is one or more kind of additional element that is selected from among Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W), and the calcination temperature is 650° C. to 1000° C.

5 . The production method for a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary according to claim 1 , wherein the lithium transition metal composite oxide has a composition that is expressed by a general expression (B): Li 1+u Ni x Mn y Co z M t O 2 (where −0.05≦u≦0.20, x+y+z+t=1, 0.3≦x<0.5, 0.1≦y≦0.4, 0.1≦z≦0.4, 0≦t≦0.1, and M is one or more kind of additional element that is selected from among Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W), and the calcination temperature is 800° C. to 980° C.

6 . The production method for a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide gas concentration is 0.01% by volume to 5.5% by volume.

7 . A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte that includes a lithium transition metal composite oxide that is composed of secondary particles that are formed from aggregates of plural primary particles and is expressed by a general expression (A): Li 1+u Ni x Mn y Co z M t O 2 (where −0.05≦u≦0.20, x+y+z+t=1, 0.5≦x<0.7, 0≦y≦0.55, 0≦z≦0.4, 0≦t≦0.1, and M is one or more kind of additional element that is selected from among Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W), and the carbon content is 0.010% by mass to 0.100% by mass.

8 . A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte that includes a lithium transition metal composite oxide that is expressed by a general expression (B): Li 1+u Ni x Mn y Co z M t O 2 (where −0.05≦u≦0.20, x+y+z+t=1, 0.3≦x≦0.5, 0.1≦y≦0.4, 0.1≦z≦0.4, 0≦t≦0.1, and M is one or more kind of additional element that is selected from among Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W), and the carbon content is 0.010% by mass to 0.100% by mass.

9 . The positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte according to claim 7 , wherein the secondary particles of the lithium transition metal composite oxide comprise a hollow structure having a hollow section and an outer-shell section that is around the outside of the hollow section.

10 . A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator and a non-aqueous electrolyte, and that uses the positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte according to claim 7 as a positive electrode material for the positive electrode.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Metal Mining Co

Inventors

• Oda Syuhei

Classifications

• H01M4/505 Primary

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

• C01P2002/50

  Solid solutions · CPC title

• C01G53/50

  of the type (MnO2)n-, e.g. Li(NixMn1-x)O2 or Li(MyNixMn1-x-y)O2 · CPC title

• H01M4/131

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

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title