Processes for preparing hydroxides and oxides of various metals and derivatives thereof

1. A process for preparing a metal oxide comprising (i) at least one metal chosen from nickel and cobalt and optionally (ii) at least one metal chosen from manganese, lithium and aluminum, said process comprising:

reacting a metal sulfate and/or a metal nitrate comprising at least one of nickel and cobalt, and optionally at least one metal chosen from manganese, lithium and aluminum with a base chosen from LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , or Ba(OH) 2 and optionally a chelating agent in order to obtain a solid comprising metal hydroxide and a liquid comprising at least one of Li 2 SO 4 Na 2 SO 4 , K 2 SO 4 , Rb 2 SO 4 , Cs 2 SO 4 , MgSO 4 , CaSO 4 , SrSO 4 , BaSO 4 , LiNO 3 NaNO 3 , KNO 3 , RbNO 3 , CsNO 3 , Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , Ca(NO 3 ) 2 , Sr(NO 3 ) 2 and Ba(NO 3 ) 2

separating said liquid and said solid from one another to obtain said metal hydroxide;

submitting said liquid comprising at least one of Li 2 SO 4 Na 2 SO 4 , K 2 SO 4 , Rb 2 SO 4 , Cs 2 SO 4 , MgSO 4 , CaSO 4 , SrSO 4 , BaSO 4 , LiNO 3 NaNO 3 , K 2 NO 3 , RbNO 3 , CsNO 3 , Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , Ca(NO 3 ) 2 , Sr(NO 3 ) 2 and Ba(NO 3 ) 2 to an electromembrane process for converting at least one of Li 2 SO 4 Na 2 SO 4 , K 2 SO 4 , Rb 2 SO 4 , Cs 2 SO 4 , MgSO 4 , CaSO 4 , SrSO 4 , BaSO 4 , LiNO 3 NaNO 3 , KNO 3 , RbNO 3 , CsNO 3 , Mg(NO 3 ) 2 , Ca(NO 3 ) 2 , Sr(NO 3 ) 2 and Ba(NO 3 ) 2 into at least one of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , or Ba(OH) 2 ; and

reusing at least a first portion of said at least one of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , or Ba(OH) 2 obtained by said electromembrane process for reacting with said metal sulfate and/or metal nitrate;

reacting at least a second portion of said at least one of LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, CsOH, Mg(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , or Ba(OH) 2 obtained by said electromembrane process with said obtained metal hydroxide to obtain a mixture of metal hydroxides; and

roasting said mixture of metal hydroxides to obtain said metal oxide.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein said solid is a precipitate comprising said metal hydroxide, said precipitate being obtained at a pH of about 9 to about 14.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein said solid is a precipitate comprising said metal hydroxide, said precipitate being obtained at a pH of about 10.5 to about 12.5.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein said metal sulfate is reacted with said base and a chelating agent that is ammonia.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein roasting said mixture of metal hydroxides comprises roasting at a first temperature of at least about 350° C. for a period of time of at least about 4 hours.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein roasting said mixture of metal hydroxides further comprises roasting at a second temperature of at least about 700° C. for a period of time of at least about 8 hours.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein said electromembrane process comprises an electrolysis membrane process.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the chelating agent is chosen from NH 3 , NH 4 OH, acetylacetone, 5-sulfosalicylic acid, and oxalic acid.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the chelating agent is chosen from EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid), DCTA (trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetraacetic acid), DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid), and EGTA (ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid).

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein said chelating agent is present.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein said metal hydroxide is NiCoAl(OH) 2 or NiMnCo(OH) 2 .

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein said metal hydroxide is chosen from Ni 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 (OH) 2 , Ni 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 (OH) 2 and Ni 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 (OH) 2 .

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide is of formula LiMO 2 , wherein M is at least one metal chosen from nickel and cobalt, and optionally further comprises at least one metal chosen from manganese, lithium and aluminum.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein said lithium hydroxide obtained by said electromembrane process is crystallized before being reacted with said obtained metal hydroxide to obtain a mixture of metal hydroxides.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal sulfate is a transition metal sulfate.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal sulfate is obtained from a metal source.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the metal source is a transition metal source.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein purification of the sulfate and/or the hydroxide is carried out by selective precipitation by addition of O 2 , SO 2 or H 2 SO 5 , persulfates, ammonium oxalate, chlorine, HCl, ClO 2 , HClO 3 , O 3 , NaOCl, CoS, Na 2 S, NaHS, CaCO 3 or Na 3 PO 4 .

19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal sulfate and/or the metal nitrate is obtained by leaching a metal source, and the leaching is carried out with at least one of H 2 SO 4 , H 2 O 2 , HNO 3 , HCl, nitric acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, aspartic acid, ascorbic acid and glucose.

20. The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal sulfate M(SO 4 ) (with M=Ni, Co, Mn) and optionally Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 are optionally crystallized before being used as precursor in the synthesis of the metal hydroxide.