Positive Electrolyte Active Material for Secondary Battery, Preparation Method Thereof, and Lithium Secondary Battery Including Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025349846-A1
Application number	US-202519280832-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 25, 2025
Priority date	Oct 26, 2018
Publication date	Nov 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lithium composite transition metal oxide includes nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn), wherein the lithium composite transition metal oxide includes two or more elements selected from the group consisting of Zr, Al, V, Co, and Mg and additional two or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, Y, Sr, Nb, Ba, and Ca, and the lithium composite transition metal oxide is in a form of a particle having a crystallite size of 170-300 nm.

First claim

1 . A positive electrode active material for a secondary battery, the material being a lithium composite transition metal oxide including nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn), wherein
the lithium composite transition metal oxide includes two or more kinds of first dopants selected from the group consisting of Zr, Al, V, Co, and Mg and two or more kinds of second dopants selected from the group consisting of Ti, Y, Sr, Nb, Ba, and Ca,
wherein the first dopants are contained in the total content of 2,000 ppm to 6,000 ppm, and the second dopants are contained in the total content of 500 ppm to 3,000 ppm.

2 . The positive electrode active material of claim 1 , wherein an average number of primary particles in secondary particles on a cross-section is 20 or less, wherein the average number is calculated by etching the particles of the lithium composite transition metal oxide into the cross-section using a focused ion beam (FIB) device, and calculating the average number when 20 or more secondary particle cross-sections are observed using a scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM).

3 . The positive electrode active material of claim 1 , wherein particles of the lithium composite transition metal oxide has a crystallite size of 170 nm to 300 nm.

4 . The positive electrode active material of claim 1 , wherein the particles of the lithium composite transition metal oxide have a specific surface area of 0.2 m 2 /g to 0.7 m 2 /g.

5 . The positive electrode active material of claim 2 , wherein the particles of the lithium composite transition metal oxide have an average number of primary particles in secondary particles on a cross-section of 10 or less.

6 . The positive electrode active material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium composite transition metal oxide has a nickel (Ni) content of 60 mol % or greater in a total content of metals excluding Li (lithium).

7 . The positive electrode active material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium composite transition metal oxide has a nickel (Ni) content of less than 60 mol % in the total content of metals excluding Li (lithium).

8 . A method for preparing a positive electrode active material for a secondary battery, the method comprising:
mixing a positive electrode active material precursor including nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn), a lithium raw material, and at least two kinds of first dopant raw materials selected from the group consisting of Zr, Al, V, Co, and Mg, and subjecting the mixture to primary firing; and after the primary firing, mixing at least two kinds of second dopant raw materials selected from the group consisting of Ti, Y, Sr, Nb, Ba, and Ca, and subjecting the mixture to secondary firing, wherein the first dopant raw materials are mixed such that a total content of the first dopants based on the total weight of the positive electrode active material is 2,000 ppm to 6,000 ppm and the second dopant raw materials are mixed such that a total content of the second dopants based on the total weight of the positive electrode active material is 500 ppm to 3,000 ppm.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein when the positive electrode active material precursor has a nickel (Ni) content of 60 mol % or greater in a total content of metals, the primary firing is performed at 800° C. to 1,000° C.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein when the positive electrode active material precursor has a nickel (Ni) content of less than 60 mol % in the total content of metals, the primary firing is performed at 900° C. to 1,100° C.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein when the positive electrode active material precursor has a nickel (Ni) content of 60 mol % or greater in the total content of metals, the secondary firing is performed at 600° C. to 950° C.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein when the positive electrode active material precursor has a nickel (Ni) content of less than 60 mol % in the total content of metals, the secondary firing is performed at 700° C. to 1,050° C.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein an average number of primary particles in secondary particles on a cross-section is 20 or less, wherein the average number is calculated by etching the particles of the lithium composite transition metal oxide formed through the primary firing and the secondary firing into the cross-section using a focused ion beam (FIB) device, and when 20 or more secondary particle cross-sections are observed using a scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), calculating the average number of primary particles in the secondary particles on the cross-section.

14 . A positive electrode comprising the positive electrode active material according to claim 1 .

15 . A lithium secondary battery comprising the positive electrode according claim 14 .

Assignees

• Lg Energy Solution Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang Min
• Kim Ji Hye
• Yoo Tae Gu
• Jung Wang Mo
• Han Gi Beom

Classifications

• C01G53/50 Primary

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

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M4/505

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