# US 12,002,952 B2 · Lithium transition metal composite oxide as a positive electrode active material for rechargeable lithium secondary batteries > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,002,952 B2 - Document ID: US12002952B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/041,266 - Filed: 2019-03-06 - Published: 2021-03-11 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-28 - Assignees: Umicore AG & Co. KG; Umicore Korea Ltd. - Applicants: Umicore; Umicore Korea Ltd. - Inventors: JiHye Kim; Jens Paulsen; AReum Park; Hee-Sung Gil - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002952B2 ## CPC - 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 - C01G 53/504: with the molar ratio of nickel with respect to all the metals other than alkali metals higher than or equal to 0.5, e.g. Li(MzNixCoyMn1-x-y-z)O2 with x ≥ 0.5 - H01M 4/0471: {involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis} - H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx - H01M 4/133: Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx - H01M 4/505: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - C01P 2002/85: by XPS, EDX or EDAX data - C01P 2004/03: obtained by SEM - C01P 2004/61: Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer - C01P 2004/80: Particles consisting of a mixture of two or more inorganic phases - H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C01G: COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts or peroxyacids C01B15/00; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium, or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds containing nitrogen, other non-metals and metal C01B21/082}; metal amides C01B21/092; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20) - C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A powderous positive electrode material for lithium ion batteries, comprising crystalline lithium transition metal-based oxide particles having a general formula Li1+a ((Niz (Ni0.5Mn0.5)y Cox)1−k Ak)1−a O2, wherein A is a dopant, −0.030≤a≤0.025, 0.10≤x≤0.40, 0.25≤z≤0.52, x+y+z=1 and k≤0.01, wherein the crystalline powder has a crystallite size less than 33 nm as determined by the Scherrer equation based on the peak of the (104) plane obtained from the X-ray diffraction pattern using a Cu K α radiation source, and wherein the molar ratio MR(Ni) of Ni versus the total transition metal content in a cross section of a particle is higher in the surface area than in the center area of the particle, as determined by EDS analysis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A powderous positive electrode material for lithium ion batteries, comprising crystalline lithium transition metal-based oxide particles having a general formula Li1+a((Niz (Ni0.5Mn0.5)y Cox)1−k Ak)1−aO2, wherein A is a dopant, −0.030≤a≤0.025, 0.10≤x≤0.40, 0.25≤z≤0.52, x+y+z=1 and k≤0.01, wherein the crystalline powder has a crystallite size less than 33 nm as determined by the Scherrer equation based on the peak of the (104) plane obtained from the X-ray diffraction pattern using a CuKα radiation source, and wherein MR(SC—Ni) is between 1.04 and 1.10, MR(SC—Ni) being a normalized molar ratio MR(Ni) of a particle, wherein EDS analysis is performed at sample locations having the same volume and being located along an EDS scan line crossing a center of the particle on a cross-section of the particle, wherein a first sample location (D1) is at a surface of a first particle edge, a second sample location (D3) is at a center of the particle, and a third sample location (D5) is at a surface of a second particle edge, opposite the first particle edge, and wherein MR(SC—Ni) is obtained by dividing the sum of the value of MR(Ni) measured in a volume at the first sample location and the value of MR(Ni) measured in a volume at the third sample location, by two times the value of MR(Ni) measured in a volume at the second sample location. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The powderous positive electrode material of claim 1, wherein 0.18≤x≤0.22, 0.42≤z≤0.52 and 1.075