Production of a layered lithium-manganese-nickel-cobalt oxide material

1. A process for producing a layered lithium-manganese-nickel-cobalt oxide material, which includes

producing a raw layered lithium-manganese-nickel-cobalt oxide (‘LMNC’) material, producing the raw layered LMNC material including:

maintaining a solution comprising a dissolved lithium compound, a dissolved manganese compound, a dissolved nickel compound, a dissolved cobalt compound, optionally a dissolved dopant compound, a hydroxycarboxylic acid, and a polyhydroxy alcohol, at an elevated temperature T 1 , where T 1 is below the boiling point of the solution, until the solution gels;

maintaining the gel at an elevated temperature T 2 , where 90° C.≤T 2 <100° C. and where T 2 is the same as T 1 , so that the solution is effectively maintained at T 1 until there has been complete or adequate gel formation, until the gel ignites and burns to form a Li—Mn—Ni—Co—O powder; and

calcining the Li—Mn—Ni—Co—O powder to burn off carbon and/or other impurities present in the powder, thereby to obtain the raw layered LMNC material;

optionally, introducing a dopant capable of enhancing the performance of the layered LMNC material when used as a cathode material in an electrochemical cell, during the production of the raw layered LMNC material;

before any annealing of the raw layered LMNC material is effected, subjecting it to microwave treatment, to obtain a treated material; and

annealing the treated material, to obtain the layered LMNC material.

2. The process according to claim 1 , which is characterized thereby that the production of the raw layered LMNC material does not include any heat treatment at a temperature greater than 600° C.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the production of the raw layered LMNC material includes heat treatment at a temperature not exceeding 600° C.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the layered LMNC material is Li[Li 0.2 Mn 0.54 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 ]O 2 , Li[Ni 0.33 Mn 0.33 Co 0.33 ]O 2 or Li[Ni 0.4 Mn 0.4 Co 0.2 ]O 2 .

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the dopant is an element of Groups IIA, IIIA or IVA of the Periodic Table of Elements.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the dopant is aluminium.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the layered LMNC material is Li[Li 0.2 Mn 0.52 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 A 1 0.02 ]O 2 .

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the calcination of the Li—Mn—Ni—Co—O powder is effected at a temperature T 3 , where 400° C≤T 3 <600° C.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the annealing of the treated material is effected at a temperature T 4 , where 700° C≤T 4 ≤900° C., to crystallize the material.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the microwave treatment comprises subjecting the calcined powder to microwaves at about 60° C. for between 10 and 20 minutes.