Method for heat treating a carbon coated alkali metal oxyanion electrode material

1. A process for preparing a heat-treated alkali metal oxyanion electrode material, said process comprising:

(i) providing an alkali metal oxyanion electrode material comprising particles, said particles having carbon deposited on at least a portion of their surface by a thermal treatment; and

(ii) heating under a humidified atmosphere said alkali metal oxyanion electrode material,

wherein said heating is performed to a temperature in the range of about 300° C. to about 950° C.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said heating is performed to a temperature in the range of about 450° C. to about 850° C.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said humidified atmosphere comprises water steam, or gas which has been contacted with water, or a mixture thereof.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said humidified atmosphere comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of N 2 , argon, helium, NH 3 , CO, CO 2 , and any mixtures thereof.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said heating under a humid atmosphere is performed for a duration of time of about 10 minutes to about 10 hours.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said heating step under a humidified atmosphere is performed in a rotary kiln, a push kiln, a fluidized bed, or a belt-driven kiln.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said process comprises reducing the carbon-content of the material.

8. The process according to claim 1 , being performed in a chemical reactor, wherein said heating under a humidified atmosphere is performed at a first zone of said chemical reactor.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein said alkali metal oxyanion electrode material having carbon coating deposited by a thermal treatment is fed at a second zone of said chemical reactor.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said alkali metal oxyanion electrode material comprises particles having the general formula C-A a M m M′ m′ Z z O o N n F f , wherein:

A comprises at least one alkaline metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na and K;

M comprises at least one transition metal;

M′ comprises at least one non-transition metal;

Z comprises at least one non-metal selected from the group consisting of S, Se, P, As, Si, Ge and B;

O is oxygen;

N is nitrogen and F is fluorine; and

the coefficients a, m, m′, z, o, n and f are chosen independently so as to ensure electroneutrality of the complex oxide, and meet the following conditions:

a≧0, m>0, z≧0, m′≧0, o>0, n≧0 and f≧0.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said alkali metal oxyanion electrode material comprises particles having the general formula C—LiMPO 4 , which has an olivine structure, and wherein M comprises at least 90% at. Fe(II), or Mn(II), or a mixture thereof.

12. The process according to claim 10 , wherein M comprises Fe(II), Mn(II), or a mixture thereof.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said carbon-deposited alkali metal oxyanion is a micron-sized alkali metal oxyanion, wherein said carbon-deposited alkali metal oxyanion is obtained from a synthesis that includes a solid-state high-energy milling of precursors of said carbon-deposited alkali metal oxyanion.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein high-energy milling is high-energy ball milling.

15. The process according to claim 13 , wherein said process is applied after said synthesis of carbon-deposited alkali metal oxyanion.