Lithium metal oxide cathode materials and method to make them

Abstract

An improved method of forming a precipitated transition metal salt useful to make a lithium transition metal oxide useful for making a lithium ion battery comprises the following. A transition metal solution comprised of a dissolved transition metal salt in water and an alkali solution comprised of an alkali salt dissolved in water are introduced into a reactor having an inlet and an outlet connected by a tubular member having therein packing. The rate in which said solutions are introduced are such that the pH of the overall solution in the reactor has pH of 5 to 12 and the time of reaction (mere seconds to several minutes) in the reactor is sufficient to form a precipitated transition metal salt in an effluent liquid. The transition metal salt precipitate in the effluent is discharged from the reactor and the salt separated from the effluent, where it can be purified by washing and dried and subsequently heated with a lithium compound to form a lithium metal oxide useful for making lithium ion batteries.