Preparation of nickel oxyhydroxide
View Patent ↗Nickel oxyhydroxide can be prepared by exposing a mixture of a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt to ozone. The nickel oxyhydroxide is suitable for use in the cathode of a battery.
1. A method of preparing nickel oxyhydroxide, the method comprising:
combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere to form a dry mixture; humidifying ozone to form humidified ozone; and
contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone to form a nickel oxyhydroxide.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel hydroxide includes a beta-nickel hydroxide, a cobalt hydroxide-coated beta-nickel hydroxide, an alpha-nickel hydroxide, or a cobalt hydroxide-coated alpha-nickel hydroxide.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel oxyhydroxide includes a beta-nickel oxyhydroxide, a cobalt oxyhydroxide-coated beta-nickel oxyhydroxide, a gamma-nickel oxyhydroxide, or a cobalt oxyhydroxide-coated gamma-nickel oxyhydroxide.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of carbon dioxide.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of water.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of carbon dioxide and substantially free of water.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the dry mixture prior to contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising agitating the dry mixture while contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the dry mixture with humidified ozone comprises contacting the dry mixture with a gas mixture including ozone.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gas mixture includes dioxygen.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel hydroxide is a powder including particles having a spherical, spheroidal, or ellipsoidal shape.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel hydroxide is a substantially dry nickel hydroxide.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxide salt includes potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, or mixtures thereof.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxide salt includes silver hydroxide or gold hydroxide.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone for less than 24 hours.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the nickel hydroxide includes a cobalt hydroxide-coated beta-nickel hydroxide or a cobalt hydroxide-coated alpha-nickel hydroxide.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture further includes an oxidation-promoting additive.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the oxidation-promoting additive includes metallic silver, silver(+1) oxide, silver(+1,+3) oxide, metallic gold, gold (+3) oxide, gold (+3) hydroxide, potassium peroxide, potassium superoxide, potassium permanganate, or silver permanganate.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nickel hydroxide includes a bulk dopant.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bulk dopant includes aluminum, manganese, cobalt, gallium, indium, or bismuth.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert atmosphere includes a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of air.
23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the dry mixture while contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere comprises contacting the nickel hydroxide and the hydroxide salt with an inert gas.
25. A method of manufacturing a battery, the method comprising:
combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere to form a dry mixture; humidifying ozone to form humidified ozone;
contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone to form a nickel oxyhydroxide; and
assembling a cathode comprising the nickel oxyhydroxide, an anode, a separator, and an electrolyte to form the battery.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of carbon dioxide.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of water.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of carbon dioxide and substantially free of water.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the inert atmosphere includes a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen.
30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of air.
31. The method of claim 25 , wherein the battery is a primary battery.
32. The method of claim 25 , wherein combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere comprises contacting the nickel hydroxide and the hydroxide salt with an inert gas.
33. A method of decreasing capacity loss in a nickel oxyhydroxide battery, the method comprising:
combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere to form a dry mixture;
humidifying ozone to form humidified ozone;
contacting the dry mixture with the humidified ozone to form a nickel oxyhydroxide;
forming a cathode including the nickel oxyhydroxide; and
assembling the cathode, an anode, a separator, and an electrolyte to form the battery,
wherein the battery has a capacity loss after storage for 4 weeks at 60° C. of less than 30 percent.
34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the nickel hydroxide is cobalt hydroxide modified nickel hydroxide.
35. The method of claim 33 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of carbon dioxide.
36. The method of claim 33 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of water.
37. The method of claim 33 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of carbon dioxide and substantially free of water.
38. The method of claim 33 , wherein the inert atmosphere includes a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen.
39. The method of claim 33 , wherein the inert atmosphere is substantially free of air.
40. The method of claim 33 , wherein the battery is a primary battery.
41. The method of claim 33 , wherein combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere comprises contacting the nickel hydroxide and the hydroxide salt with an inert gas.