Sumitomo Metal Mining Company, Ltd.

Katsuya Inoue

Hiroyuki Toya

Shuhei Oda

Atsushi Fukui

Satoshi Matsumoto

Tetsufumi Komukai

Provided are a cathode active material having a suitable particle size and high uniformity, and a nickel composite hydroxide as a precursor of the cathode active material. When obtaining nickel composite hydroxide by a crystallization reaction, nucleation is performed by controlling a nucleation aqueous solution that includes a metal compound, which includes nickel, and an ammonium ion donor so that the pH value at a standard solution temperature of 25° C. becomes 12.0 to 14.0, after which, particles are grown by controlling a particle growth aqueous solution that includes the formed nuclei so that the pH value at a standard solution temperature of 25° C. becomes 10.5 to 12.0, and so that the pH value is lower than the pH value during nucleation. The crystallization reaction is performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at least in a range after the processing time exceeds at least 40% of the total time of the particle growth process from the start of the particle growth process where the oxygen concentration is 1 volume % or less, and with controlling an agitation power requirement per unit volume into a range of 0.5 kW/mto 4 kW/mat least during the nucleation process.

Nickel composite hydroxide and manufacturing method thereof, cathode active material for nonaqueos-electrolyte secondary battery and manufacturing method thereof, and nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery

Provided are a cathode active material having a suitable particle size and high uniformity, and a nickel composite hydroxide as a precursor of the cathode active material. When obtaining nickel composite hydroxide by a crystallization reaction, nucleation is performed by controlling a nucleation aqueous solution that includes a metal compound, which includes nickel, and an ammonium ion donor so that the pH value at a standard solution temperature of 25&#xb0; C. becomes 12.0 to 14.0, after which, particles are grown by controlling a particle growth aqueous solution that includes the formed nuclei so that the pH value at a standard solution temperature of 25&#xb0; C. becomes 10.5 to 12.0, and so that the pH value is lower than the pH value during nucleation. The crystallization reaction is performed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at least in a range after the processing time exceeds at least 40% of the total time of the particle growth process from the start of the particle growth process where the oxygen concentration is 1 volume % or less, and with controlling an agitation power requirement per unit volume into a range of 0.5 kW/mto 4 kW/mat least during the nucleation process.

Provided are a positive electrode active material for nonagueous secondary batteries, the material having a narrow particle-size distribution and a monodisperse property and being capable of increasing a battery capacity; an industrial production method thereof; and a nonaqueous secondary battery using the positive electrode active material and having excellent electrical characteristics. The positive electrode active material is represented by a general formula: LiNiCoMnMO(wherein, 0.05&#x2264;u&#x2264;0.95, x+y+z+t=1, 0&#x2264;x&#x2264;0.5, 0&#x2264;y&#x2264;0.5, 0.5&#x2264;z&#x3c;0.8, 0&#x2264;t&#x2264;0.1, and M is an additive element and at least one element selected from Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W), has an average particle diameter of 3 to 12 um, and has [(d&#x2212;d)/average particle diameter], an index indicating a scale of particle-size distribution, of 0.60 or less.

Positive electrode active material for nonaqueous secondary batteries, method for producing same, and nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery using positive electrode active material

A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, which enables a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery to achieve great battery characteristics, and a process for producing the material, as well as a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batter. Provided is a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, where secondary particles of lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide particles are composed of outer-shell parts with a high manganese concentration and central parts with a low manganese concentration, which are lower in manganese concentration than the outer-shell parts, primary particles constituting the outer-shell parts of the secondary particles with the high manganese concentration are composed of outer peripheral parts with a low manganese concentration and inner parts with a high manganese concentration, and the ratio of the manganese concentration in the inner part to the manganese concentration in the outer peripheral part is 1.5 to 2.5 in the primary particles.

Positive electrode active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, production process therefor, and non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery

Provided is a positive electrode active material that can be used to fabricate a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent output characteristics not only in an environment at normal temperature but also in all temperature environments from extremely low to high temperatures. A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the positive electrode active material includes a boron compound and lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide of general formula (1) having a layered hexagonal crystal structure. The lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide includes secondary particles composed of agglomerated primary particles. The boron compound is present on at least part of the surface of the primary particles, and contains lithium.LiNiCoMnMoMO&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)

Positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, production method thereof, and nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including said material

Nickel composite hydroxide and manufacturing method thereof, cathode active material for nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery and manufacturing method thereof, and nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery

To provide a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrode rechargeable battery, with which it is possible to improve input/output characteristics, particularly by reducing resistance in a low SOC state in which DCIR increases, and to provide a manufacturing method for same. The cathode active material includes layered hexagonal crystal lithium nickel manganese composite oxide particles represented by the general formula (A): LiNiMnCoMO(where 0&#x2266;u&#x2266;0.20, x+y+z+t=1, 0.30&#x2266;x &#x2266;0.70, 0.10&#x2266;y&#x2266;0.55, 0&#x2266;z&#x2266;0.40, 0&#x2266;t&#x2266;0.10, and M is one or more elements selected from Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W), and further including Na, Mg, Ca and SO, in which the total amount of Na, Mg and Ca is 0.01 to 0.1 mass %, the amount of SOis 0.1 to 1.0 mass %, and the ratio of the integrated intensity of the diffraction peak on plane (003) to that on plane (104) obtained by powder X-ray diffraction measurement using CuK&#x3b1; rays is 1.20 or greater.

Cathode active material for non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery and manufacturing method for same, and non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery

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Ehime, Japan

Katsuya Inoue