Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery

1. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising:

(a) a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode material mixture containing a composite lithium oxide and a positive electrode current collector carrying said positive electrode material mixture;

(b) a negative electrode comprising a material capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium;

(c) a separator comprising a polyolefin resin;

(d) a non-aqueous electrolyte; and

(e) a heat-resistant insulating layer interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, said heat-resistant layer comprising an inorganic oxide filler and a resin component,

wherein said composite lithium oxide has a composition represented by a general formula (1): Li a M b Me c O 2 , where element M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Sn, In, Fe, Cu, Mg, Ti, Zn, Zr and Mo, and element Me is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni and Co, and where said general formula (1) satisfies:

0.9<a<1.2;

0.02≦b≦0.5;

0.5≦c≦0.98; and

0.95 ≦b+c≦ 1.05,

wherein b and c are selected so that 0.95≦b+c≦1.05 is satisfied, and

wherein said positive electrode active material mixture has an estimated heat generation rate at 200° C. of not greater than 50 W/kg.

2. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 1 ,

wherein said element M is distributed in a greater amount in a surface portion of said composite lithium oxide than inside of the surface portion of said composite lithium oxide.

3. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 1 ,

wherein said composite lithium oxide has been treated with an Si compound represented by a general formula (3): X—Si—Y 3 , where X includes a functional group reactive with said composite lithium oxide, and Y includes a functional group comprising C, H, O, F or Si.

4. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said heat-resistant insulating layer has a thickness of not less than 1 μm.

5. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 1 ,

wherein said estimated heat generation rate is determined by the steps of:

(i) determining a relation between absolute temperature T and heat generation rate V of said positive electrode material mixture using an accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC);

(ii) plotting a relation between the inverse of absolute temperature T as an X coordinate and the logarithm of heat generation rate V as a Y coordinate according to the Arrhenius law;

(iii) obtaining an approximate straight line fitted to the plotted points in a heat generation temperature range of T<200° C. (473 K); and

(iv) extrapolating the obtained approximate straight line to the temperature axis at T=200° C. (473 K).

6. A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising:

(a) a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode material mixture containing a composite lithium oxide and a positive electrode current collector carrying said positive electrode material mixture;

(b) a negative electrode comprising a material capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium;

(c) a separator comprising a polyolefin resin;

(d) a non-aqueous electrolyte; and

(e) a heat-resistant insulating layer interposed between said positive electrode and said negative electrode, said heat-resistant layer comprising an inorganic oxide filler and a resin component,

wherein said composite lithium oxide has a composition represented by a general formula (2): Li a M b Ni d CO e O 2 , where element M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Mn, Sn, In, Fe, Cu, Mg, Ti, Zn, Zr and Mo, and where said general formula (2) satisfies:

0.9<a<1.2;

0.02≦b≦0.5;

0.1≦d≦0.5;

0.1≦e≦0.5; and

0.95 ≦b+d+e≦ 1.05,

wherein b, d, and e are selected so that 0.95≦b+d+e≦1.05 is satisfied, and

wherein said positive electrode active material mixture has an estimated heat generation rate at 200° C. of not greater than 50 W/kg.

7. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 6 ,

wherein said general formula (2) satisfies:

0.15≦b≦0.4;

0.3≦d≦0.5; and

0.15≦e≦0.4.

8. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 6 ,

wherein said element M is distributed in a greater amount in a surface portion of said composite lithium oxide than inside of the surface portion of said composite lithium oxide.

9. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 6 ,

wherein said composite lithium oxide has been treated with an Si compound represented by a general formula (3): X—Si—Y 3 , where X includes a functional group reactive with said composite lithium oxide, and Y includes a functional group comprising C, H, O, F or Si.

10. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 1 ,

wherein said heat-resistant insulating layer has a thickness of not less than 1 μm.

11. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 6 ,

wherein said estimated heat generation rate is determined by the steps of:

(i) determining a relation between absolute temperature T and heat generation rate V of said positive electrode material mixture using an accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC);

(ii) plotting a relation between the inverse of absolute temperature T as an X coordinate and the logarithm of heat generation rate V as a Y coordinate according to the Arrhenius law;

(iii) obtaining an approximate straight line fitted to the plotted points in a heat generation temperature range of T<200° C. (473 K); and

(iv) extrapolating the obtained approximate straight line to the temperature axis at T=200° C. (473 K).

12. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 1 ,

wherein the thickness of said heat-resistant insulating layer is 1 μm to 10 μm.

13. The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in accordance with claim 6 ,

wherein the thickness of said heat-resistant insulating layer is 1 μm to 10 μm.