Fmc Corporation

Vesselin Manev

Titus Faulkner

D Wayne Barnette

Walter B Ebner

William Thompson

Stephen Dow

John F Engel

Yuan Gao

Wayne Barnette

Highly crystalline Mn2O3 or Mn3O4 manganese oxides

Lithium manganese oxide spinel compound and method of preparing same

A method of preparing a highly homogenous spinel Li,Mn,O,intercalation compound having a predetermined mean particle size and particle size distribution for 4 V secondary lithium and lithium ion cells is provided. The method comprises mixing at least one manganese compound having a predetermined particle size distribution with at least one lithium compound wherein the manganese compound has a mean particle size of between about 1 and 15 microns and the mean particle size of the lithium compound is less than that of the manganese compound The mixture is then fired in one or more firing steps within specific temperature ranges to form the Li,Mn,O,intercalation compound. Preferably, at least one firing step is at a temperature of between about 700&deg; C. and 900&deg; C. The Li,Mn,O,intercalation compounds may be used in the positive electrodes of secondary lithium and lithium ion cells to provide cells having high specific capacity, cycleability, and charge-discharge rate capability.

Method for preparing spinel Li1&plus;xMn2&minus;xO4&plus;y intercalation compounds

The present invention includes a method of preparing secondary lithium and lithium-ion batteries with improved coulombic efficiency, improved cycling and storage performance at elevated temperatures, and lower rates of transition metal dissolution. In accordance with the present invention, the positive electrode material is thermally treated at a temperature of between 50&deg; C. and 120&deg; C. to produce a passivating film having lithium ion conductivity. The present invention also includes a secondary lithium or lithium-ion cell having positive electrode material covered with a thermally-activated thin passivating film having lithium ion conductivity and a positive electrode material formed of particles of a lithium intercalation compound with a passivating film on the surface of the particles.

Method of preliminarily heat treating positive electrodes of secondary lithium and lithium-ion Batteries and resulting positive electrodes and batteries

A novel method of preparing a spinel Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compound with low lattice distortion and a highly ordered and homogeneous structure for 4 V secondary lithium and lithium ion cells is provided. The method of preparing the spinel Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compound comprises mixing at least one manganese compound with at least one lithium compound and firing the mixture at three different temperature ranges with corresponding gas flow rates to form the spinel Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compounds. The spinel Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compounds have a mean X value of between about 0.01 and 0.05 and a full width at half maximum of the x-ray diffraction peaks at a diffraction angle 2.theta. of planes (400) and (440) using CuK.alpha..sub.1 rays of between about 0.10.degree. and 0.15.degree.. The spinel Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation compounds may be used in the positive electrodes of secondary lithium and lithium ion cells to provide cells having high specific capacities and long cycling lives.

Highly homogeneous spinel Li.sub.1+x Mn.sub.2-x O.sub.4 intercalation

The present invention provides a positive electrode material for lithium and lithium-ion secondary cells which exhibits good cycleability, reversible specific capacity, and structural stability. The positive electrode material comprises a lithium multi metal oxide having a spinel structure and described by the general formula:

Multiple-doped oxide cathode material for secondary lithium and

A novel method of preparing a highly homogenous spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compound having a predetermined mean particle size and particle size distribution for 4 V secondary lithium and lithium ion cells is provided. The method comprises mixing at least one manganese compound having a predetermined particle size distribution with at least one lithium compound wherein the manganese compound has a mean particle size of between about 1 and 15 microns and the mean particle size of the lithium compound is less than that of the manganese compound. The mixture is then fired in one or more firing steps within specific temperature ranges to form the Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compound. Preferably, at least one firing step is at a temperature of between about 700.degree. C. and 900.degree. C. The Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compounds may be used in the positive electrodes of secondary lithium and lithium ion cells to provide cells having high specific capacity, cycleability, and charge-discharge rate capability.

Method for preparing spinel Li.sub.1+x MN.sub.2-x O.sub.4-Y

A novel method of preparing a spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation compound with low lattice distortion and a highly ordered and homogeneous structure for 4 V secondary lithium and lithium ion cells is provided. The method of preparing the spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation compound comprises mixing at least one manganese compound with at least one lithium compound and firing the mixture at three different temperature ranges with corresponding gas flow rates to form the spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation compounds. The spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation compounds have a mean X value of between about 0.01 and 0.05 and a full width at half maximum of the x-ray diffraction peaks at a diffraction angle 2.theta. of planes (400) and (440) using CuK.alpha..sub.1 rays of between about 0.10.degree. and 0.15.degree.. The spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation compounds may be used in the positive electrodes of secondary lithium and lithium ion cells to provide cells having high specific capacities and long cycling lives.

Highly homogeneous spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation

Method for preparing spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y

A novel method of preparing a spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compound with low lattice distortion and a highly ordered and homogeneous structure for 4 V secondary lithium and lithium ion cells is provided. The method of preparing the spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compound comprises providing a spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4 intercalation compound having a lithium to manganese mole ratio of between about 1.02:2 and 1.1:2 and firing the spinel at different temperature ranges with corresponding gas flow rates to form the spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compounds. The spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compounds have a mean X value of between about 0.01 and 0.05, a mean Y value of between about -0.02 and 0.04 and a full width at half maximum of the x-ray diffraction peaks at a diffraction angle 2.theta. of planes (400) and (440) using CuK.alpha..sub.1 rays of between about 0.08.degree. and 0.13.degree.. The spinel Li.sub.1+X Mn.sub.2-X O.sub.4+Y intercalation compounds may be used in the positive electrodes of secondary lithium and lithium ion cells to provide cells having high specific capacities and long cycling lives.

Growing community of inventors

Gastonia, NC, United States of America

Vesselin Manev