IP Library Granted Patent US 12,060,284
Granted Patent B2
US 12,060,284 · App. 18/105,686 · Granted Aug 13, 2024

Materials and methods of producing lithium cobalt oxide materials of a battery cell

Inventors: Haixia Deng (Fremont, CA); Shengfeng Liu (Newark, CA); Min-Duan Liu (Bethany, CT); Mengchen Liu (Union City, CA); Liang-Yuh Chen (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: eJoule, Inc.
C01G51/42H01M4/525H01M10/0525C01P2006/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,060,284
App. No.
18/105,686
Granted
Aug 13, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various lithium cobalt oxides materials having a chemical formula of Li x Co y O z , and method and apparatus of producing the various lithium cobalt oxides materials are provided. The method includes adjusting a molar ratio M LiSalt :M CoSalt of a lithium-containing salt, and a cobalt-containing salt within a liquid mixture to be equivalent to a ratio of x:y, drying a mist of the liquid mixture in the presence of a gas to form a gas-solid mixture, separating the gas-solid mixture into one or more solid particles of an oxide material, and annealing the solid particles of the oxide material in the presence of another gas flow to obtain crystallized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material. The process system has a mist generator, a drying chamber, one or more gas-solid separator, and one or more reactors.

Claims (41)

1. An oxide material, comprising:

a lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) wherein x is from 0.9 to 1.1 (0.9≤x≤1.1), y is from 0.9 to 1.1 (0.9≤y≤1.1), and z is from 1.8 to 2.2 (1.8≤z≤2.2) and being obtained from a process comprising:

forming a mist of a liquid mixture, wherein the liquid mixture comprises a lithium-containing salt and a cobalt-containing salt;

generating one or more mono-sized droplets of the mist from the mist generator;

mixing the mist of the mono-sized droplets with a first gas flow to form a gas-liquid mixture;

drying the gas-liquid mixture to form a gas-solid mixture at a drying temperature of 200° C. or higher;

separating the gas-solid mixture to obtain one or more solid particles of an oxide material; and

annealing the solid particles of the oxide material at an annealing temperature of 400° C. or higher to obtain crystalized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material, wherein based on X-ray diffraction pattern, the crystal structure of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits a single phase, the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibit the intensity ratio I(003)/(104) to be no less than 4.8, and the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) having identifiable peaks 003 and 104, wherein x is from 0.9 to 1.1, y is from 0.9 to 1.1, and z is from 1.8 to 2.2.

2. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) having identifiable peaks 101, 006, 012, 015, 107, 018, 110 and 113 based on X-ray diffraction pattern.

3. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a tap density (TD) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than 2.1 (g/cc).

4. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) at cutoff voltage of 4.45 voltage is no less than 96%.

5. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage is no less than 95.9%.

6. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) at cutoff voltage of 4.6 voltage is no less than 95.2%.

7. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.45 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than (≥) 173.7 mAh/g.

8. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than (≥) 183.9 mAh/g.

9. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.6 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than (≥) 215 mAh/g.

10. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibit FWHM (003) to be no less than 0.09° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.

11. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits FWHM (104) to be no less than 0.08° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.

12. The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ), is obtained from adjusting a molar ratio M LiSalt :M CoSalt of the lithium-containing salt, and the cobalt-containing salt, in the liquid mixture to be a ratio of about x:y for making the lithium cobalt oxide material at desirable atomic ratio of Li:Co equaling to x:y.

13. An oxide material, comprising:

a lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) wherein x is from 0.9 to 1.1 (0.9≤x≤1.1), y is from 0.9 to 1.1 (0.9≤y≤1.1), and z is from 1.8 to 2.2 (1.8≤z≤2.2), wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ), is obtained from adjusting a molar ratio M LiSalt :M CoSalt of a lithium-containing salt, and a cobalt-containing salt, in the liquid mixture to be a ratio of about x:y such that the lithium cobalt oxide material at desirable atomic ratio of Li:Co equaling to x:y, and being obtained from a process comprising:

forming a mist of a liquid mixture, wherein the liquid mixture comprises a lithium-containing salt and a cobalt-containing salt;

generating one or more mono-sized droplets of the mist from the mist generator;

mixing the mist of the mono-sized droplets with a first gas flow to form a gas-liquid mixture;

drying the gas-liquid mixture to form a gas-solid mixture at a drying temperature of 200° C. or higher;

separating the gas-solid mixture to obtain one or more solid particles of an oxide material; and

annealing the solid particles of the oxide material at an annealing temperature of 400° C. or higher to obtain crystalized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material, wherein based on X-ray diffraction pattern, the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits an intensity ratio of I(003)/I(104) to be no less than 4.8, and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits FWHM (003) to be no less than 0.09°, wherein x is from 0.9 to 1.1, y is from 0.9 to 1.1, and z is from 1.8 to 2.2.

14. The oxide material of claim 13 , wherein a tap density (TD) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than 2.1 (g/cc).

15. The oxide material of claim 13 , wherein the crystal structure of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits a single phase based on X-ray diffraction pattern.

16. The oxide material of claim 13 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage is no less than 95.9%.

17. The oxide material of claim 13 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than (≥) 183.9 mAh/g.

18. The oxide material of claim 13 , wherein the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits FWHM (104) to be no less than 0.08° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.

19. The oxide material of claim 13 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.6 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than 215 mAh/g.

20. An oxide material, comprising:

a lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) wherein x is from 0.9 to 1.1 (0.9≤x≤1.1), y is from 0.9 to 1.1 (0.9≤y≤1.1), and z is from 1.8 to 2.2 (1.8≤z≤2.2), wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material doped (Li x Co y O z ), is obtained from adjusting a molar ratio M LiSalt :M CoSalt of a lithium-containing salt, and a cobalt-containing salt, in the liquid mixture to be a ratio of about x:y, such that the lithium cobalt oxide material at desirable atomic ratio of Li:Co equaling to x:y, and being obtained from a process comprising:

forming a mist of a liquid mixture, wherein the liquid mixture comprises a lithium-containing salt and a cobalt-containing salt;

generating one or more mono-sized droplets of the mist from the mist generator;

mixing the mist of the mono-sized droplets with a first gas flow to form a gas-liquid mixture;

drying the gas-liquid mixture to form a gas-solid mixture at a drying temperature of 200° ° C. or higher;

separating the gas-solid mixture to obtain one or more solid particles of an oxide material; and

annealing the solid particles of the oxide material at an annealing temperature of 400° C. or higher to obtain crystalized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material, wherein based on X-ray diffraction pattern, the crystal structure of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits a single phase, and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) exhibits FWHM (104) to be no less than 0.08°, wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) is no less than (≥) 183.9 mAh/g, and wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material (Li x Co y O z ) at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage is no less than 95.9%, wherein x is from 0.9 to 1.1, y is from 0.9 to 1.1, and z is from 1.8 to 2.2.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2026
From: EJOULE INC.
To: EJOULE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 076041/0829 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2024
From: CHEN, LIANG-YUH; DENG, HAIXIA; LIU, SHENGFENG; LIU, MENGCHEN; LIU, MINDUAN
To: EJOULE, INC.
Reel/Frame 067889/0741 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17478855 · Sep 17, 2021
Provisional Application 63080023 · Sep 18, 2020
Related Publication 20230183092A1 · Jun 15, 2023