A positive electrode active material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024014381-A1
Application number	US-202118253446-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 26, 2021
Priority date	Nov 27, 2020
Publication date	Jan 11, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for lithium-ion secondary batteries, comprising: (i) a first lithium transition metal oxide, comprising single-crystalline particles having a median particle size D50 A of between 3 μm and 15 μm, as determined by laser particle size analysis, and (ii) a second lithium transition metal oxide, comprising single-crystalline particles having a median particle size D50 B of between 0.5 μm and 3 μm, as determined by laser particle size analysis, wherein a weight fraction φ B of said second lithium transition metal oxide with respect to the total weight of said positive electrode active material is between 5 wt. % and 40 wt. %.

First claim

1 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A positive electrode active material for lithium-ion secondary batteries, whereby said positive electrode active material comprises Li, a metal M′, and oxygen, wherein the metal M′ comprises Ni, Co, and either Mn or Al and optionally one or more elements selected from: B, Ba, Sr, Mg, Nb, Ti, W, F, and Zr,
wherein the positive electrode active material is a mixture of lithium transition metal oxide powders,
wherein the mixture comprises a first lithium transition metal oxide powder and a second lithium transition metal oxide powder which are both single-crystalline powders,
wherein the first lithium transition metal oxide powder constitutes a first weight fraction φ A of the positive electrode active material and has a first median particle size D50 A of between 3 μm and 15 μm, as determined by laser diffraction particle size analysis,
wherein the second lithium transition metal oxide powder constitutes a second weight fraction φ B of the positive electrode active material and has a second median particle size D50 B of between 0.5 μm and 3 μm, as determined by laser diffraction particle size analysis,
wherein the second weight fraction φ B is between 5 wt. % and 40 wt. %.

19 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said first median particle size D50 A is between 4 μm and 15 μm.

20 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said first median particle size D50 A is between 0.5 μm and 2 μm.

21 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein a ratio of the first median particle size D50 A to the second median particle size D50 B is between 2 and 20.

22 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein a ratio of the first median particle size D50 A and the second median particle size D50 B is between 4 and 10.

23 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said first median particle size D50 A is between 5 μm and 10 μm.

24 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said second median particle size D50 B is between 0.5 μm and 1.5 μm.

25 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said second weight fraction φ B is between 15 wt. % and 30 wt. %.

26 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said positive electrode active material has a pressed density, after applying a uniaxial pressure of 207 MPa for 30 seconds, of at least 3.50 g/cm 3 .

27 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said first lithium transition metal oxide powder comprises Li, a metal M A ′, and oxygen, wherein M A ′ has a general formula Ni 1-xa-ya-za Mn xa CO ya A′ za with 0.00≤xa≤0.30, 0.01≤ya≤0.20, and 0.00≤za≤0.01, wherein A′ comprises one or more elements selected from: Mn, B, Ba, Sr, Mg, Al, Nb, Ti, W, F, and Zr.

28 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein said second lithium transition metal oxide powder comprises Li, a metal M B ′, and oxygen, wherein the M B ′ has a general formula Ni 1-xb-yb-zb Mn xb Co yb A″ zb with 0.00≤xb≤0.35, 0.01≤yb≤0.35, and 0≤zb≤wherein A″ comprises one or more elements selected from: B, Ba, Sr, Mg, Al, Nb, Ti, W, F, and Zr.

29 . Positive electrode active material according to claim 18 , wherein the sum of the first weight fraction φ A and the second weight fraction φ B is at least 95%.

30 . Method for manufacturing a positive electrode active material wherein the method comprises a step of mixing a first lithium transition metal oxide powder having a volume based particle size distribution with a first median particle size D50 A of between 3 μm and 15 μm, as determined by laser diffraction particle size analysis, with a second lithium transition metal oxide powder having a volume based particle size distribution with a second median particle size D50 B of between 0.5 μm and 3 μm, as determined by laser diffraction particle size analysis, whereby the first lithium transition metal oxide powder and the second lithium transition metal oxide powder are both single-crystalline powders, whereby a weight fraction φ B of said second lithium transition metal oxide powder with respect to the total weight of said positive electrode active material is between 5 wt. % and 40 wt. %.

31 . Method according to claim 30 , wherein said weight fraction φ B is between 15 wt. % and 30 wt. %.

32 . Method according to claim 30 , wherein the positive electrode active material comprises Li, a metal M′, and oxygen, wherein the metal M′ comprises Ni, Co, and either Mn or Al and optionally one or more elements selected from: B, Ba, Sr, Mg, Nb, Ti, W, F, and Zr, wherein the positive electrode active material is a mixture of lithium transition metal oxide powders, wherein the mixture comprises a first lithium transition metal oxide powder and a second lithium transition metal oxide powder which are both single-crystalline powders, wherein the first lithium transition metal oxide powder constitutes a first weight fraction φ A of the positive electrode active material and has a first median particle size D50 A of between 3 μm and 15 μm, as determined by laser diffraction particle size analysis, wherein the second lithium transition metal oxide powder constitutes a second weight fraction φ B of the positive electrode active material and has a second median particle size D50 B of between 0.5 μm and 3 μm, as determined by laser diffraction particle size analysis, and wherein the second weight fraction φ B is between 5 wt. % and 40 wt. %.

33 . Battery cell comprising a positive electrode active material according to claim 18 .

Assignees

• Umicore Nv
• Umicore Korea Ltd

Inventors

• Kumakura Shinichi
• Yang Taehyeon
• Paulsen Jens Martin

Classifications

• C01G53/82

  Compounds containing nickel, with or without oxygen or hydrogen, and containing two or more other elements · CPC title

• H01M4/364 Primary

  as mixtures · CPC title

• H01M4/505

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

• C01G53/44

  containing manganese · CPC title