Nonaqueous electrolyte battery

• US 10,374,220 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Hikaru, Kuriyama, Kazuya, Saruwatari, Hidesato, Tanaka, Masanori, Kano, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Eggerding, Alix E
• Application Number:
  US14/477,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20150079469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/51 Particles with a specific particle size distribution
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/61 Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer
• 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 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• 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 4/366 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 4/623 fluorinated polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/625 Carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte battery including a positive electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material-containing layer. The positive electrode active material-containing layer includes at least one lithium-nickel composite oxide and a conductive agent. The positive electrode active material-containing layer has, in a particle size distribution obtained by a laser diffraction scattering method, an average particle diameter d₅₀ within a range of 1 μm to 5.5 μm, a maximum particle diameter within a range of 10 μm to 100 μm, a particle diameter d₁₀ within a range of 0.5 μm to 3 μm, and X, represented by X=(d₅₀−d₁₀)/d₅₀, within a range of 0.5 to less than 1.

Claims

1. A nonaqueous electrolyte battery comprising:

a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material-containing layer formed on the positive electrode current collector, the positive electrode active material-containing layer consisting of a binder and a mixture of particles of at least one lithium-nickel composite oxide and particles of a conductive agent;

a negative electrode; and

a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein

the mixture of the particles of the at least one lithium-nickel composite oxide and the particles of the conductive agent in the positive electrode active material-containing layer has such a particle size distribution obtained by a laser diffraction scattering method, an average particle diameter d₅₀ within a range of 1 μ

m to 5.5 μ

m, a maximum particle diameter within a range of 10 μ

m to 100 μ

m, a particle diameter d₁₀ within a range of 0.5 μ

m to 3 μ

m, and X, represented by X=(d₅₀−

d₁₀)/d₅₀, is within a range of 0.70 to less than 1,

a particle diameter of the particles of the conductive agent is smaller than an average particle diameter of the particles of the at least one lithium-nickel composite oxide, and

the lithium-nickel composite oxide comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Li—

Ni—

Al composite oxides, Li—

Ni—

Co—

Mn composite oxides, and Li—

Ni—

Mn composite oxides.

2. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode active material-containing layer has a content of nickel element within a range of 23% by weight to 45% by weight.

3. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 2, wherein the conductive agent comprises a carbon material.

4. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 3, wherein the carbon material is at least one selected from the group consisting of acetylene black, Ketjen black, furnace black, graphite, and carbon nanotube.

5. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 2, wherein the positive electrode active material-containing layer has a density within a range of 2.4 g/cm³ to 3.6 g/cm³.

6. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 2, wherein

the conductive agent comprises a carbon material, which is at least one of acetylene black, Ketjen black, furnace black, and graphite, and

the binder comprises at least one of hexafluoropropylene and polytereafluoroethylene.

7. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein the negative electrode comprising a negative electrode active material-containing layer, the negative electrode active material-containing layer comprising at least one lithium titanate.

8. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 7, the negative electrode active material-containing layer comprises lithium titanate having spinel structure.

9. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein the binder comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

10. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein the average particle diameter d₅₀ is within a range of 3.0 μ

m to 3.9 μ

m.

11. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein the particle diameter d₁₀ is within a range of 0.90 μ

m to 1.51 μ

m.

12. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein the X is within a range of 0.70 to 0.73.

13. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery according to claim 1, wherein

the negative electrode comprises a negative electrode active material-containing layer, the negative electrode active material-containing layer comprising at least one lithium titanate,

The positive electrode active material-containing layer has a content of nickel element within a range of 23% by weight to 45% by weight,

the conductive agent comprises a carbon material, which is at least one of acetylene black, Ketjen black, furnace black, and graphite, and

the binder comprises at least one of hexafluoropropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene.