Positive active material precursor for rechargeable lithium battery, method of preparing positive active material for rechargeable lithium battery using the same, and rechargeable lithium battery including the prepared positive active material for rechargeable lithium battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570743-B2
Application number	US-201113822861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2011
Priority date	Sep 14, 2010
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Provided are a positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery including a metal oxide represented by Chemical Formula 1, a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery that is obtained by using the positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery and includes a compound represented by a Chemical Formula 2, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery, the positive active material precursor consisting of a metal oxide represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:
[Ni a Co b M c Mn d ] 3 O 4   [Chemical Formula 1]

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 1,
M is a transition element,
0.2≦a≦0.9, 0<b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0.1≦d≦0.9, and a+b+c+d=1,
wherein the metal oxide represented by the above Chemical Formula 1 has an average particle diameter of 5 μm to 15 μm, and
wherein the metal oxide represented by the above Chemical Formula 1 has a tap density of 1.0 g/cc to 2.0 g/cc.

2. The positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 1 , wherein 0<c≦0.05, and the M comprises Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, W, or a combination thereof.

3. The positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide represented by the above Chemical Formula 1 is a spherically-shaped powder.

4. A method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, comprising:
mixing a nickel source, a manganese source, a cobalt source, and a solvent, under an oxidizing atmosphere to form a positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery represented by the following Chemical Formula 1; and
mixing the positive active material precursor and a lithium source followed by heat treatment to prepare a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 2:
[Ni a Co b M c Mn d ] 3 O 4   [Chemical Formula 1]

wherein, in the above Chemical Formula 1,
M is a transition element,
0.2≦a≦0.9, 0<b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0.1≦d≦0.9, a+b+c+d=1,
Li 1+x [Ni a Co b M c Mn d ] 1−x O 2−y F y   [Chemical Formula 2]

wherein in the above Chemical Formula 2,
M is a transition element,
−0.05≦x≦0.25,
0≦y≦0.05,
0.2≦a≦0.9, 0<b≦0.5, 0≦c≦0.05, 0.1≦d≦0.9, and a+b+c+d=1,
wherein, the oxidizing atmosphere comprises an air atmosphere, an oxygen (O 2 ) atmosphere, or a combination thereof,
wherein, the heat treatment is performed through primary firing at a temperature of 250° C. to 650° C. and secondary firing at a temperature of 700° C. to 1100° C.

5. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein 0<c≦0.05, the M comprises Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, W, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein the nickel source comprises nickel sulfate, nickel nitrate, nickel acetate, nickel chloride, nickel phosphate, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein the cobalt source comprises cobalt sulfate, cobalt nitrate, cobalt acetate, cobalt chloride, cobalt phosphate, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein the manganese source comprises manganese sulfate, manganese nitrate, manganese acetate, manganese chloride, manganese phosphate, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein the solvent comprises water, ethanol, methanol, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein in the step of forming the positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery, the nickel source is mixed in an amount of about 10 wt % to about 90 wt %, the cobalt source is mixed in an amount more than about 0 wt % to less than or equal to about 50 wt %, the manganese source is mixed in an amount of about 10 wt % to about 90 wt %, and the solvent is mixed in an balance amount, based on the 100 wt % of the mixture for forming the positive active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery.

11. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein in the step of forming the positive active material precursor, a transition element source is further mixed.

12. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 11 , wherein the transition element source comprises a sulfate, nitrate, acetate, chloride, or phosphate of a transition element, or combination thereof.

13. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein the lithium source comprises lithium nitrate (LiNO 3 ), lithium acetate (CH 3 COOLi), lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), or a combination thereof.

14. The method of preparing a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery of claim 4 , wherein the active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery and the lithium source are mixed in a more ratio of 1.0:0.95 to 1.0:1.25.

Assignees

• Sun Yang-Kook
• Kim Hyo-Jin
• Industry-Univ Coop Found Hanyang Univ

Inventors

• Sun Yang-Kook
• Kim Hyo-Jin

Classifications

• H01M4/505

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

• H01M4/1391

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

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M4/131

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