Materials and methods of producing lithium cobalt oxide materials of a battery cell
Various lithium cobalt oxides materials doped with one or more metal dopants having a chemical formula of Li x Co y O z (doped Me1 a Me2 b Me3 c . . . MeN n ), 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 :M Me1Salt :M Me2Salt :M Me3Salt : . . . M MeNSalt of a lithium-containing salt, a cobalt-containing salt and one or more metal-dopant-containing salts within a liquid mixture to be equivalent to a ratio of x:y:a:b:c: . . . n, 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.
1 . An oxide material, comprising:
a lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant, Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a , 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, z is from 1.8 to 2.2, 1.8≤z≤2.2, and wherein 0<a≤0.05, wherein, based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with the at least one metal dopant exhibits a single phase of lithium cobalt oxide compound with no detectable second phases from impurities and a c/a lattice parameter ratio of not less than 4.990 after being obtained from a process comprising:
adjusting a molar ratio M LiSalt :M CoSalt :M Me Salt of a lithium-containing salt, a cobalt-containing salt, and at least one metal-dopant-containing salt into a liquid mixture to be a ratio of about 1:1:a, where a is more than 0 and not more than 0.05;
forming a mist of the liquid mixture, wherein the liquid mixture comprises:
the lithium-containing salt;
the cobalt-containing salt; and
the at least one metal-dopant-containing salt;
mixing the mist of the liquid mixture with a first gas flow to form a gas-liquid mixture;
drying the gas-liquid mixture to form a gas-solid mixture;
separating the gas-solid mixture into one or more solid particles of an oxide material; and
annealing the one or more solid particles of the oxide material at an annealing temperature of 400° C. or higher to obtain crystallized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a .
2 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a tap density (TD) of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a is TD≥2.1 (g/cc).
3 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a at cutoff voltage of 4.3 voltage is CE≥95.7%.
4 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a at cutoff voltage of 4.4 voltage is CE≥97%.
5 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a at cutoff voltage of 4.45 voltage is CE≥93.2%.
6 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage is CE≥92.9%.
7 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a coulombic efficiency (CE) of battery cells made by the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a at cutoff voltage of 4.6 voltage is CE≥95.6%.
8 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.45 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a is no less than (≥) 180.33 mAh/g.
9 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.5 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a is no less than (≥) 190.32 mAh/g.
10 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a first discharge capacity at cutoff voltage of 4.6 voltage of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a is no less than (≥) 217.2 mAh/g.
11 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a exhibit an intensity ratio I(003)/I(104)≥2.27 based on X-ray diffraction pattern.
12 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a exhibit Δ2θ[(012)-(006)]≥0.663° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.
13 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a exhibit Δ2θ[(110)-(018)]≥0.915° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.
14 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a exhibit FWHM (003)≥0.09° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.
15 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the lithium cobalt oxide material doped with at least one metal dopant Li x Co y O z ● doped Me a exhibit FWHM (0104)≥0.07° based on X-ray diffraction pattern.
16 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal dopant is selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Mn, Zr, Zn, Nb, La, Ce, Sn, Ga, Ba, Ac, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, B, Ge, As, Hf, Mo, W, Re, Ru, Rh, Pt, Ag, Os, Ir, Au, and combinations thereof.
17 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal dopant comprises magnesium (Mg), and wherein a battery cell made from the lithium cobalt oxide materials doped with the magnesium, which is annealed at 1090° C., exhibits a first discharge capacity no less than 175 mAh/g and a coulombic efficiency greater than 97% at 4.5 Voltage.
18 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal dopant comprises zirconium (Zr), such that the battery cell made from the lithium cobalt oxide materials doped with the zirconium and annealed at 1020° C. exhibits a first discharge capacity no less than 194 mAh/g and a coulombic efficiency greater than 97% at 4.5 Voltage.
19 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal dopant comprises aluminum (Al), such that the battery cell made from the lithium cobalt oxide materials doped with the aluminum exhibits a first discharge capacity greater than 191 mAh/g and a coulombic efficiency greater than 97% at 4.5 Voltage.
20 . The oxide material of claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal dopant comprises magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al), such that the battery cell made from the lithium cobalt oxide materials doped with the magnesium and the aluminum exhibits a first discharge capacity greater than 190 mAh/g and a coulombic efficiency greater than 96% at 4.5 Voltage.