Method for manufacturing positive-electrode active material precursor and positive-electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery

A method for manufacturing a positive-electrode active material precursor for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing a nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate compound represented by a general formula of NixCoyMnzMtCO3 where x+y+z+t=1, 0.05≤x≤0.3, 0.1≤y≤0.4, 0.55≤z≤0.8, and 0≤t≤0.1 are satisfied;

• and M represents one or more additive elements selected from among Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W, the method comprising:
• an initial aqueous solution preparation process of preparing an initial aqueous solution that contains an ammonium ion supplier and water, in which a pH value is controlled to be greater than or equal to 9.0 and less than or equal to 12.0 by an alkaline aqueous solution at a reference reaction temperature of 25° C., and a liquid temperature is set greater than or equal to 25° C. and less than or equal to 50° C.;
• a nucleation process of forming nuclei by adding and mixing, under presence of carbonate ions, an aqueous solution that contains nickel as a metal component, an aqueous solution that contains cobalt as a metal component, an aqueous solution that contains manganese as a metal component, and an ammonium ion supplier, with the initial aqueous solution so as to form a mixed aqueous solution;
• and
• a nucleus growth process of growing the nuclei by adding and mixing, under presence of carbonate ions, an aqueous solution that contains nickel as a metal component, an aqueous solution that contains cobalt as a metal component, an aqueous solution that contains manganese as a metal component, and an ammonium ion supplier, with the mixed aqueous solution formed in the nucleation process,
• wherein in the nucleation process, a pH value of the mixed aqueous solution is controlled to be greater than or equal to 8.0 at the reference reaction temperature of 25° C., by adding an alkaline aqueous solution, thereby controlling the pH value of the mixed aqueous solution while concurrently adding the ammonium ion supplier and the alkaline aqueous solution during the nucleation process,
• wherein in the nucleus growth process, the pH value of the mixed aqueous solution is controlled to be greater than or equal to 6.0 and less than or equal to 7.5 at the reference reaction temperature of 25° C., by adding the alkaline aqueous solution, and
• wherein the nucleation process takes a time greater than or equal to 1/20 and less than or equal to 3/10 of a combined time of the nucleation process and the nucleus growth process, to add the aqueous solution that contains nickel as the metal component, the aqueous solution that contains cobalt as the metal component, the aqueous solution that contains manganese as the metal component, and the ammonium ion supplier, to the initial aqueous solution.