Introduction of titanium homogeneously into a solid material
The invention relates to a method for the precipitation of a solid material, where the method comprises: providing an aqueous metal ion solution, said metal ion solution comprising TiOSO 4 and metal ions of a metal M, where M is one or more of the elements: Mg, Co, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe; providing an aqueous carbonate solution; and mixing said aqueous metal ion solution and said aqueous carbonate solution thereby providing a solid material comprising titanium and a metal carbonate comprising said metal(s) M, where the titanium is homogeneously distributed within the solid material. The invention also relates to a solid material, a method of preparing a positive electrode material for a secondary battery from the solid material and the use of the solid material as a precursor for the preparation of a positive electrode material for a secondary battery.
1. A method for the precipitation of a solid material, said method comprising:
providing an aqueous metal ion solution, said metal ion solution comprising TiOSO 4 and metal ions of a metal M, where M is Mn and one or more of the elements: Mg, Co, Cu, Ni, Fe;
providing an aqueous carbonate solution; and
mixing said aqueous metal ion solution and said aqueous carbonate solution thereby providing a solid material comprising titanium and a metal carbonate comprising said metal(s) M, where the titanium is homogeneously distributed within the solid material,
wherein the method is carried out without the use of a chelating agent,
wherein the pH value of the mixed aqueous metal ion solution and aqueous carbonate solution is 8.5<pH<10.0.
2. A method according to claim 1 , where said metal ion solution comprises Mg 2+ ions and metal ions of a metal M′, where M′ is one or more of the elements:
Co, Cu, Ni, Fe.
3. A method according to claim 1 , where M contains Ni, Mn and Mg.
4. A method according to claim 1 , where the metal ion solution is prepared from sulfate(s), nitrate(s) or acetate(s).
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid material is precipitated and agglomerated into agglomerated particles, wherein D50 of said agglomerated particles is between 1 and 50 μm.
6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the agglomerated particles are essentially spherical.
7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the agglomerated particles are characterized by an average circularity higher than 0.90 and simultaneously an average aspect ratio lower than 1.50.
8. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
providing a NaOH solution and mixing the NaOH solution with the aqueous metal ion solution and the aqueous carbonate solution.