Positive active material comprising a continuous concentration gradient of a metal composition for lithium battery, method of preparing the same, and lithium battery including the same

1. A positive active material for a lithium battery, comprising:

an internal bulk part and an external bulk part surrounding the internal bulk part,

wherein

a metal composition is distributed in a continuous concentration gradient from the interface between the internal bulk part and the external bulk part to a surface of the active material

the internal bulk part comprises a first compound including Ni, Co, and Mn, wherein the Ni in the first compound ranges from 60 mole % to 95 mole %, and

the external bulk part comprises a second compound including Ni, and Mn, wherein the Ni in the second compound ranges from 5 mole % to 60 mole %,

wherein

the positive active material is spherical in shape;

at least one of the internal bulk part and the external bulk part has a layered crystalline structure;

metal composition of the external bulk part is distributed in a continuous concentration gradient; and prepared by:

(i) mixing a metal salt aqueous solution comprising nickel, cobalt, manganese, and optionally a metal, wherein the metal is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, a chelating agent, and a basic aqueous solution in a reactor to provide a first metal hydroxide precipitate, wherein the chelating agent and the metal salt aqueous solution are mixed in a mole ratio of 0.2 to 0.5:1;

(ii) introducing metal mixture solutions with different concentrations to the reactor, and simultaneously introducing an ammonia aqueous solution and a basic aqueous solution into the reactor to provide a second metal hydroxide precipitate on a surface of the first metal hydroxide precipitate with a concentration gradient;

(iii) drying or heating at least one of first metal hydroxide precipitates and the second metal hydroxide precipitates to provide an active material precursor; and

(iv) creating a positive active material by mixing the active material precursor and a lithium salt.

2. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the volume of the internal bulk part ranges from 35 to 95 volume % based on the total volume of the positive active material.

3. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the metal concentration in the surface part of the external bulk part is at least 10% more than that of the internal bulk part.

4. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the internal bulk part comprises lithium-included compounds represented by Li a Ni 1−x−y−z Co x Mn y M z O 2−δ X δ (“Formula 1”), and the external bulk part is selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by Li a Ni 1−x−y−z Co x Mn y M z O 2−δ X δ (“Formula 2”) and Li a Ni x Co 1−2x Mn x−y M y O 2−δ X δ (“Formula 3”), and a mixture thereof:

wherein, in the formula 1, 0.95≦a≦1.2, 0.01≦x≦0.5, 0.01≦y≦0.5, 0.005≦z≦0.3, 0.05≦x+y+z≦0.4, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen of F, Cl, Br, or I, and 0≦δ≦0.1;

wherein, in the Formula 2, 0.95≦a≦1.2, 0.01≦x≦0.4, 0.01≦y≦0.5, 0.002≦z≦0.2, 0.4<x+y+z≦0.95, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen of F, Cl, Br, or I, and 0≦δ≦0.1; and

wherein, in the Formula 3, 0.95≦a≦1.2, 0.01≦x≦0.5, 0≦y≦0.1, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen of F, Cl, Br, or I, and 0≦δ≦0.1.

5. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the internal bulk part has an average particle diameter of 5 to 15 μm, and the positive active material particle has an average particle diameter of 10 to 30 μm.

6. A lithium battery comprising:

a positive electrode including the positive active material of claim 1 ;

a negative active material including a negative active material; and

an electrolyte, wherein;

the positive active material comprises an internal bulk part and an external bulk part surrounding the internal bulk part,

a metal composition is distributed in a continuous concentration gradient from an interface between the internal bulk part and the external bulk part to the active material's surface,

the internal bulk part comprises a first compound including Ni, Co, and Mn, wherein the Ni in the first compound ranges from 60 mole % to 95 mole %, and

the external bulk part comprises a second compound including Ni, and Mn, wherein the Ni in the second compound ranges from 5 mole % to 60 mole %,

wherein the positive active material is spherical in shape.

7. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the internal bulk part's volume and the external bulk part has a layered crystalline structure.

8. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the metal composition of the external bulk part is distributed in a continuous concentration gradient.

9. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the internal bulk part's volume ranges from 35 to 95 volume % based on the total volume of the positive active material.

10. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the metal concentration in the external bulk part's surface is 10% to 70% relative to the metal concentration of the internal bulk part.

11. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the internal bulk part comprises a high capacity compound comprising Ni, Co, and Mn, and the external bulk part comprises a thermally stable compound comprising Ni and Mn.

12. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the internal bulk part comprises lithium-included compounds represented by Li a Ni 1−x−y−z Co x Mn y M z O 2−δ X δ (“Formula 1”), and the external bulk part is selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by Li a Ni 1−x−y−z Co x Mn y M z O 2−δ X δ (“Formula 2”) and Li a Ni x Co 1−2x Mn x−y M y O 2−δ X δ (“Formula 3”), and a mixture thereof:

wherein, in the formula 1, 0.95≦a≦1.2, 0.01≦x≦0.5, 0.01≦y≦0.5, 0.005≦z≦0.3, 0.05≦x+y+z≦0.4, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen of F, Cl, Br, or I, and 0≦δ≦0.1;

wherein, in the Formula 2, 0.95≦a≦1.2, 0.01≦x≦0.4, 0.01≦y≦0.5, 0.002≦z≦0.2, 0.4<x+y+z≦0.95, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen of F, Cl, Br, or I, and 0≦δ≦0.1; and

wherein, in the Formula 3, 0.95≦a≦1.2, 0.01≦x≦0.5, 0≦y≦0.1, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Cr, V, Ti, Cr, Fe, Zr, Zn, Si, Y, Nb, Ga, Sn, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, X is a halogen of F, Cl, Br, or I, and 0≦δ≦0.1.

13. The lithium battery of claim 6 , wherein the internal bulk part has an average particle diameter of 5 to 15 μm, and the positive active material has an average particle diameter of 10 to 30 μm.

14. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the chelating agent and the metal salt aqueous solution are mixed in a mole ratio of 0.2 to 0.5:1.

15. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the heating of the mixture of the active material precursor and the lithium salt is performed at a temperature of 700° C. to 1100° C.

16. The positive active material of claim 1 , further comprising pre-firing the mixture of the active material precursor and the lithium salt at a temperature of 250 to 650° C. for 5 to 20 hours before the heating step.

17. The positive active material of claim 1 , wherein the mixing to provide the first metal hydroxide precipitate and the introducing to provide the second metal hydroxide precipitate are performed under an atmosphere of inflowing nitrogen, pH of 10 to 12.5, at a reaction temperature of 30 to 80° C., and a reaction agitation speed of 500 to 2000 rpm.