NONAQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE BATTERY, BATTERY PACK AND POSITIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL

• US 20100237277A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Haruchika Ishii, Hidesato Saruwatari, Rhonda R. Willigan, Shinsuke Matsuno
• Original Assignee: Haruchika Ishii, Hidesato Saruwatari, Rhonda R. Willigan, Shinsuke Matsuno
• Inventors: ISHII, Haruchika, MATSUNO, Shinsuke, SARUWATARI, Hidesato, INAGAKI, Hiroki
• Application Number:
  US12/794,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237277A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/182.100
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0569 characterised by the solvents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0587 of accumulators having only wound construction elements, i.e. wound positive electrodes, wound negative electrodes and wound separators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/028 Positive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/004 Three solvents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/133 Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/364 as mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/485 of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/62 Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/103 prismatic or rectangular H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/528 Fixed electrical connections, i.e. not intended for disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/581 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a case, a positive electrode housed in the case and including a positive electrode active material containing a lithium-nickel composite oxide and at least one of lithium hydroxide and lithium oxide, the sum of lithium hydroxide and lithium oxide falling within not less than 0.1% to not more than 0.5% by weight based on the total amount of the positive electrode active material, a negative electrode housed in the case and capable of lithium intercalation-deintercalation, and a separator sandwiched between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and impregnated with a nonaqueous electrolyte containing γ-butyrolactone.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of manufacturing a positive electrode active material, comprising:

burning a mixture comprising nickel oxide and at least one of lithium hydroxide and lithium oxide within a range of 400 to 800°

C. under an oxygen atmosphere; and

pulverizing the mixture and mixing the mixture alternately.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the mixture is formed by a dry mixing method.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the mixture is formed by a dry mixing method under a humidity not higher than 5%.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein a time for the burning falls within a range of 4 to 48 hours.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the burning, the pulverizing and the mixing are each repeated a plurality of times.

26. The method according to claim 21, wherein the burning, the pulverizing and the mixing are each repeated 2 to 10 times.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein the pulverizing and the mixing are each performed under a dry environment by a dry mixing method.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein the mixture further comprises a metal oxide of an element M, where the element M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Al, Mn, Cr, Fe, Nb, Mg, B and F.

29. The method according to claim 21, wherein the oxygen atmosphere has a higher pressure than an atmospheric pressure.

30. The method according to claim 21, wherein the oxygen atmosphere falls within a range of 1.05 to 1.5 atms.

31. A positive electrode active material manufactured by the method according to claim 21.

32. The positive electrode active material according to claim 31, which comprises a lithium-nickel composite oxide represented by formula (1) given below:

LiNi_1-xM_xO₂ 

 

(1)

where the element M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Al, Mn, Cr, Fe, Nb, Mg, B and F, and the molar ratio x satisfies 0≦

x<

1.

33. The positive electrode active material according to claim 31, wherein the element M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Al and Mn, and the molar ratio x satisfies 0≦

x≦

0.5.

34. The positive electrode active material according to claim 31, which further comprises at least one of lithium hydroxide and lithium oxide.