Process for producing carbonate compound and cathode active material

Abstract

To provide a carbonate compound and a cathode active material, whereby a lithium ion secondary battery having excellent cycle characteristics can be obtained. A process for producing a carbonate compound, which comprises mixing a sulfate (A) comprising a sulfate comprising a sulfate of Mn and a sulfate of Ni, or a sulfate comprising a sulfate of Mn, a sulfate of Ni and a sulfate of Co, and a carbonate (B) which is at least one carbonate selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, in the form of aqueous solutions and controlling the proportion of Mn to the total of Ni, Co and Mn contained in the sulfate (A) to be higher than 65 mol % at the initiation of the mixing, to precipitate a carbonate compound having a proportion of Mn of from 33.3 to 65 mol %, a proportion of Ni of from 17.5 to 50 mol % and a proportion of Co of from 0 to 33.3 mol % to the total of Ni, Co and Mn in the total average composition. A process for producing a cathode active material, which comprises mixing the carbonate compound obtained by the above process and lithium carbonate, followed by firing at from 500 to 1,000° C.