Drying procedure in manufacturing process for cathode material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017294652-A1
Application number	US-201615095954-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a cathode material for a lithium ion cell comprises: generating a lithium nickel composite oxide material in a manufacturing process, wherein the manufacturing process results in residual lithium being present in the lithium nickel composite oxide material; washing the lithium nickel composite oxide material to remove at least part of the residual lithium, wherein the washing provides the lithium nickel composite oxide material with a moisture content; and drying the lithium nickel composite oxide material to remove at least part of the moisture content, the drying performed in an environment of substantially only an inert gas or air essentially free of carbon dioxide.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a cathode material for a lithium ion cell, the method comprising:
generating a lithium nickel composite oxide material in a manufacturing process, wherein the manufacturing process results in residual lithium being present in the lithium nickel composite oxide material; washing the lithium nickel composite oxide material to remove at least part of the residual lithium, wherein the washing provides the lithium nickel composite oxide material with a moisture content; drying the lithium nickel composite oxide material to remove at least part of the moisture content, the drying performed in an environment of substantially only an inert gas or air essentially free of carbon dioxide; wherein the step of drying the lithium nickel composite oxide material comprises:
(i) drying at a first temperature using a first drying stage that has a first chamber, or a first dryer zone, then drying at a second temperature using a second drying stage that has a second chamber, or second dryer zone, such that the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; and
(ii) after drying using the second drying stage, cooling using a cooling stage that has a third chamber, or third dryer zone.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating the environment for drying the lithium nickel composite oxide material by introducing the inert gas into the first chamber or first dryer zone, the second chamber or second dryer zone, and the third chamber or third dryer zone, and reducing a carbon dioxide level in the first chamber or first dryer zone, the second chamber or second dryer zone, and the third chamber or third dryer zone to at most about 100 ppm.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the carbon dioxide level in the first chamber or the first dryer zone, the second chamber or the second dryer zone, and the third chamber or third dryer zone is reduced to at most about 50 ppm.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising detecting the carbon dioxide level in the first chamber or first dryer zone, the second chamber or second dryer zone, and the third chamber or third dryer zone and removing carbon dioxide from the first chamber or first dryer zone, the second chamber or second dryer zone, and the third chamber or third dryer zone accordingly.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein removing the carbon dioxide from the first chamber or first dryer zone, the second chamber or second dryer zone, and the third chamber or third dryer zone comprises applying a pressure swing adsorption process.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert gas or the air essentially free of carbon dioxide provides thermal convection in removing at least part of the moisture content.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first chamber, second chamber and third chamber comprise rotary kilns.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first chamber, second chamber and third chamber comprise fluid bed dryers.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of drying comprises a continuous process performed in a single chamber including the first dryer zone, the second dryer zone and the third dryer zone.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of drying comprises a step-separate process performed in the first chamber, the second chamber and the third chamber, wherein the first chamber, the second chamber and the third chamber are kept at different temperatures.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying at the first temperature is performed within the first chamber, the drying at the second temperature is performed within the second chamber and the cooling stage is performed within the third chamber.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium nickel composite oxide material comprises a lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide or a lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying at the first temperature, the drying at the second temperature and the cooling are performed in the inert gas, and wherein the inert gas comprises at least one of nitrogen and argon.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying at the first temperature, the drying at the second temperature and the cooling are performed in the air essentially free of carbon dioxide, the method further comprising performing air filtering to remove the carbon dioxide.

Assignees

• Tesla Motors Inc

Inventors

• Arimoto Shinji
• Tsuruta Kunio
• Leblanc Rene
• Melsert Ryan

Classifications

• H01M4/505

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

• H01M10/0525

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

• C01G53/42

  containing alkali metals, e.g. LiNiO2 · CPC title

• C01P2006/40

  Electric properties · CPC title

• 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