Agc Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd.

Nozomi Honda

Takeshi Kawasato

Yukimitsu Wakasugi

Takuya Mihara

Koichiro Ueda

Yukiko Amagasaki

A lithium/nickel/cobalt/manganese-containing composite oxide powder represented by the formula LiNiCoMnMOF(wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ge, Sn, alkaline earth metal elements and transition metal elements other than Co, Mn and Ni, 0.9&#x2266;p&#x2266;1.1, 0.2&#x2266;x&#x2266;0.5, 0.2&#x2266;y&#x2266;0.5, 0.1&#x2266;z&#x2266;0.4, 0&#x2266;q&#x2266;0.5, 1.9&#x2266;a&#x2266;2.1, p+x+y+z+q=2, and 0&#x2266;a&#x2266;0.02), characterized in that when the powder is classified into small particle size-classified particles with an average particle size 2 &#x3bc;m&#x2266;D&#x2266;8 &#x3bc;m and large particle size-classified particles with an average particle size of 10 &#x3bc;m&#x2266;D&#x2266;75 &#x3bc;m, the ratio of (% by weight of the small particle size-classified particles)/(% by weight of the large particle size-classified particles) is from 15/85 to 40/60.

Lithium-containing composite oxide and its production method

Provided are a cathode active material with high safety, with high discharge capacity even at high operating voltage, and with excellent cyclic charge and discharge properties, its production method and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing the cathode active material. The cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises a surface-modified lithium-containing composite oxide particle, wherein the particle is a lithium-containing composite oxide particle represented by the general formula LiNO(wherein N&#x2550;NiML, M contains at least one element selected from Co and Mn, L is an element selected from alkaline earth metal elements, aluminum and transition metal elements other than Ni, Co and Mn, 0.9&#x2266;p&#x2266;1.1, 0.9&#x2266;x&#x3c;1.1, 0.2&#x2266;y&#x2266;0.9, and 0&#x2266;z&#x2266;0.3), and a surface layer of the particle contains aluminum, said surface layer within 5 nm having an aluminum content of at least 0.8 as an atomic ratio to a total of Ni and the element M.

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Chigasaki, Japan

Nozomi Honda