IP Library Granted Patent US 11,973,179
Granted Patent B2
US 11,973,179 · App. 17/481,535 · Granted Apr 30, 2024

Cathode active material for lithium secondary battery and method of manufacturing the same

Inventors: Sang Bok Kim (Daejeon, KR); Jik Soo Kim (Daejeon, KR); Jeong Bae Yoon (Daejeon, KR); Seung Ok Lee (Daejeon, KR); Ji Hoon Choi (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: SK ON CO., LTD.
H01M10/0525H01M4/0471H01M4/382H01M2004/028H01M4/525
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,973,179
App. No.
17/481,535
Granted
Apr 30, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to embodiments of the present invention includes performing a first heat treatment on a first mixture of a transition metal precursor and a lithium precursor at a first calcination temperature to obtain a preliminary lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle; and performing a second heat treatment on a second mixture obtained by adding the lithium precursor to the preliminary lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle at a second calcination temperature which is lower than the first calcination temperature to form a lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle.

Claims (24)

1. A method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, comprising:

performing a first heat treatment on a first mixture of a transition metal precursor and a lithium precursor at a first calcination temperature to obtain a preliminary lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle; and

performing a second heat treatment on a second mixture obtained by adding the lithium precursor to the preliminary lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle at a second calcination temperature which is lower than the first calcination temperature to form a lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle,

wherein the transition metal precursor includes a nickel, cobalt and manganese-containing compound.

2. The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle has a composition represented by Formula 1 below:

Li a Ni x M 1−x O 2+y [Formula 1]

(in Formula 1, a, x and y are in a range of 0.95≤a≤1.2, 0.6≤x≤0.99, and −0.1≤y≤0.1, respectively, and M is at least one element selected from Na, Mg, Ca, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Co, Fe, Cu, Ag, Zn, B, Al, Ga, C, Si, Sn and Zr).

3. The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 2 , wherein the first calcination temperature satisfies the Equations 1 and 2 below, and the second calcination temperature satisfies Equations 3 and 4 below:

t 1−10≤ T 1(° C.)≤ t 1+10  [Equation 1]

(in Equation 1, t1 is a temperature according to Equation 2 below, and T1 is the first calcination temperature),

t 1(° C.)=(−520)* x+ 1275  [Equation 2]

(in Equation 2, x is the same as x defined in Formula 1),

t 2−10< T 2(° C.)< t 2+10  [Equation 3]

(in Equation 3, t2 is a temperature according to Equation 4 below, and T2 is the second calcination temperature),

t 2(° C.)=(−520)* x+ 1180  [Equation 4]

(in Equation 4, x is the same as x defined in Formula 1.

4. The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 2 , wherein in Formula 1 above, x is 0.8 or more.

5. The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the lithium precursor comprises at least one of lithium carbonate, lithium nitrate, lithium acetate, lithium oxide, and lithium hydroxide.

6. The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein performing a water washing treatment is not comprised.

7. The method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to claim 1 , wherein the second heat treatment is performed directly after the first heat treatment.

8. A method of manufacturing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, comprising:

performing a first heat treatment on a first mixture of a transition metal precursor and a lithium precursor at a first calcination temperature to obtain a preliminary lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle; and

performing a second heat treatment on a second mixture obtained by adding the lithium precursor to the preliminary lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle at a second calcination temperature which is lower than the first calcination temperature to form a lithium-transition metal composite oxide particle,

wherein the lithium precursor is input in an amount of 80 to 90 mol % based on the number of moles of the input transition metal precursor in the first mixture, and the lithium precursor is input in an amount of 10 to 20 mol % based on the number of moles of the input transition metal precursor in the second mixture.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2022
From: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
To: SK ON CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062034/0198 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2021
From: KIM, SANG BOK; KIM, JIK SOO; YOON, JEONG BAE; LEE, SEUNG OK; CHOI, JI HOON
To: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 057559/0754 →