Cathode active material for lithium secondary battery and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025320131-A1
Application number	US-202519251723-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2025
Priority date	Feb 16, 2021
Publication date	Oct 16, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a cathode active material for a secondary battery, which includes a lithium metal oxide particle having a form of a secondary particle in which a plurality of primary particles are agglomerated, wherein the primary particles comprise a particle having a triangular shape which has a size of a minimum internal angle of 45° or more and a maximum height of 0.5 μm or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery comprising:
performing a co-precipitation reaction in a reaction solution including a metal salt, a chelating agent and a co-precipitating agent; and obtaining a metal hydroxide particle formed by the co-precipitation reaction, wherein the step of performing the co-precipitation reaction comprises: a first co-precipitation reaction performed while maintaining a pH of the reaction solution and a concentration of the chelating agent in the reaction solution; a secondary co-precipitation reaction performed while decreasing the pH of the reaction solution and increasing the concentration of the chelating agent in the reaction solution; and a third co-precipitation reaction performed while maintaining the pH of the reaction solution and the concentration of the chelating agent in the reaction solution, wherein co-precipitation reaction to third co-precipitation reaction are sequentially performed.

2 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction solution is prepared by mixing an aqueous solution containing the metal salt, and an aqueous solution containing the chelating agent and the co-precipitating agent.

3 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein when a total reaction time of the co-precipitation reaction is 1 T, the reaction time of the secondary co-precipitation reaction is 0.001 T to 0.02 T.

4 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein in the second co-precipitation reaction, the pH of the reaction solution is decreased by 0.7 to 2.5 from the pH in the first co-precipitation reaction, and the concentration of the chelating agent in the reaction solution is increased to a numerical value of 1.2 to 2.5 times based on the concentration thereof in the first co-precipitation reaction.

5 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the metal hydroxide particle has a form of a secondary particle in which a plurality of primary particles are aggregated, and the primary particles comprise a particle having a triangular shape.

6 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 5 , wherein the particle having the triangular shape is formed before a time of 0.6 T elapses from the start of the co-precipitation reaction when a total reaction time of the co-precipitation reaction is 1 T.

7 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 5 , wherein a maximum height of the triangular shape is 0.5 μm or more.

8 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the metal salt contains nickel.

9 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 8 , wherein the metal salt further contains at least one of Co, Mg, Sr, Ba, B, Al, Si, Mn, Ti, Zr and W.

10 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 9 , wherein a molar ratio of nickel among all metals contained in the metal salt is 0.8 or more.

11 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 8 , wherein, in the step of performing the co-precipitation reaction, a concentration of Ni2+ in the reaction solution is maintained at 50 to 100 ppm.

12 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein, during the third co-precipitation reaction, a solid content concentration in the reaction solution is controlled to 30 to 55% by weight.

13 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 1 , further comprising:
mixing the metal hydroxide particle and a lithium source; and calcining the mixture of the metal hydroxide particle and the lithium source to prepare a lithium metal oxide particle.

14 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 13 , wherein the lithium metal oxide particle has a form of a secondary particle in which a plurality of primary particles are aggregated, wherein the primary particles comprise a particle having a triangular shape which has a size of a minimum internal angle of 45° or more and a maximum height of 0.5 μm or more.

15 . The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a secondary battery according to claim 13 , wherein the calcination is performed in a temperature range of 670 to 785° C.

Assignees

• Sk On Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jik Soo
• Choi Ji Hoon
• Kim Sang Bok

Classifications

• 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

• H01M10/0525

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

• C01P2004/61

  Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer · CPC title

• C01P2004/50

  Agglomerated particles · CPC title

• C01P2004/30

  extending in three dimensions · CPC title