Method to create a lithium manganese nickel oxide cathode using ultra-pure electrolytic manganese dioxide for improved electrochemical cell performance

A method of forming a battery including a lithium manganese nickel oxide cathode, the method comprising:

• providing an anode for the battery, a separator for the battery, and an electrolyte solution for the battery;
• forming the lithium manganese nickel oxide cathode, wherein the forming includes:
• dissolving metallic manganese in acid to create a dissolved manganese solution;
• disposing the dissolved manganese solution within an electrolytic cell, the electrolytic cell including an electrolytic cell anode and an electrolytic cell cathode;
• applying a current between the electrolytic cell anode and the electrolytic cell cathode to the dissolved manganese solution, wherein applying the current forms a manganese dioxide (MnO2) deposit upon the electrolytic cell anode;
• harvesting the MnO2 deposit from the electrolytic cell anode;
• creating a manganese precursor by neutralizing the MnO2 deposit and grinding the MnO2 deposit to form an MnO2 powder;
• mixing the manganese precursor with a nickel precursor and a lithium precursor to create a mixture;
• calcining the mixture to create a lithium manganese nickel oxide powder;
• coating a current collector with the lithium manganese nickel oxide powder;
• and
• disposing the separator and the electrolyte solution between the anode for the battery and the lithium manganese nickel oxide cathode to thereby form the battery,
• wherein creating the manganese precursor further includes calcining the MnO2 powder under one of atmospheric air and oxygen gas to create manganese (III) oxide (Mn2O3);
• and
• wherein the manganese precursor includes alkali metal impurities and alkaline earth metal impurities present in from 10 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight based on one million parts by weight of the manganese precursor.