# US 2026/0091985 A1 · Metal oxide precursor particle, method for preparing the same and method for preparing cathode active material

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- Number: US 2026/0091985 A1
- Document ID: US20260091985A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/339,326
- Filed: 2025-09-25
- Published: 2026-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2024-09-30
- Assignees: SK On Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: SK On Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hee Jun KWEON; Ji Hye JANG; Ji Hoon CHOI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260091985A1

## CPC

- C01G 53/502: containing lithium and cobalt
- C01G 53/40: Complex oxides containing nickel and at least one other metal element
- C01G 53/506: with the molar ratio of nickel with respect to all the metals other than alkali metals higher than or equal to 0.8, e.g. Li(MzNixCoyMn1-x-y-z)O2 with x ≥ 0.8
- H01M 4/505: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
- 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
- H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- C01P 2002/54: one element only
- C01P 2004/03: obtained by SEM
- C01P 2004/34: hollow
- C01P 2004/61: Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer
- C01P 2006/40: Electric properties
- H01M 2004/021: {Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- 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)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- 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 metal oxide precursor particle according to the present disclosure has a hollow structure, includes nickel, cobalt and manganese, and has a median particle diameter of 20 to 40 μm. According to a method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles according to the present disclosure, a mixed solution containing water and a metal source including a nickel source, a cobalt source and a manganese source is prepared. The mixed solution is sprayed into a quartz tube. The quartz tube includes a particle formation region therein, and the temperature of the particle formation region is set to 750 to 1100° C. According to a method for preparing a cathode active material of the present disclosure, the metal oxide precursor particles are pulverized to prepare small-sized metal oxide precursor particles. A mixture including the small-sized metal oxide precursor particles and a lithium source is calcined to prepare lithium metal oxide particles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A metal oxide precursor particle having a hollow structure, comprising nickel, cobalt and manganese, and having a median particle diameter of 20 μm to 40 μm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The metal oxide precursor particle according to claim 1, wherein the median particle diameter is 25 μm to 35 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The metal oxide precursor particle according to claim 1, wherein the hollow structure comprises a core that is a void and a shell surrounding an outer surface of the core, and
wherein the shell has an average thickness of 1 μm to 5 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The metal oxide precursor particle according to claim 3, wherein the shell surrounds 90% or more of the area of the outer surface of the core.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The metal oxide precursor particle according to claim 1, wherein the particle includes a crystal structure represented by Formula 1 below:
(in Formula 1, 0<x≤0.1, 0<y≤0.2, 0≤z≤0.1, 0.5≤1−x−y−z<1, and −0.1≤a≥0.1, M comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of B, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Sr, Y, Ag, Ba, Zr, Nb, Mo, Al, W, Ru, Sn, Ta, La and Ce).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The metal oxide precursor particle according to claim 1, wherein the particle may further include lithium.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The metal oxide precursor particle according to claim 6, wherein the particle may include a crystal structure represented by Formula 2 below:
In Formula 2, 0<x≤0.1, 0<y≤0.2, 0≤z≤0.1, 0.5≤1−x−y−z<1, and −0.1≤a≤0.1, −0.5≤b≤0.5, M may include at least one selected from the group consisting of B, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Sr, Y, Ag, Ba, Zr, Nb, Mo, Al, W, Ru, Sn, Ta, La and Ce.

### Claim 8

A method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles comprising:
preparing a mixed solution including water and a metal source comprising a nickel source, a cobalt source and a manganese source; and
spraying the mixed solution into a quartz tube,
wherein the quartz tube comprises a particle formation region therein, and
the temperature of the particle formation region is 750° C. to 1100° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles according to claim 8, wherein the concentration of the metal source in the mixed solution is 0.5 M to 4 M.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles according to claim 8, wherein the temperature of the particle formation region is 800° C. to 1000° C.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles according to claim 8, wherein the spraying is performed at a flow rate of the mixed solution of 30 ml/min to 150 ml/min.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles according to claim 8, wherein the metal source in the mixed solution may further include a lithium source.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method for preparing metal oxide precursor particles according to claim 8, wherein the mixed solution further comprises a chelating agent or a basic compound.

### Claim 14

A method for preparing a cathode active material comprising:
pulverizing metal oxide precursor particles having a hollow structure, comprising nickel, cobalt and manganese, and having a median particle diameter of 20 μm to 40 μm to prepare small-particle metal oxide precursor particles; and
calcining a mixture comprising the small-particle metal oxide precursor particles and a lithium source to prepare lithium metal oxide particles.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method for preparing a cathode active material according to claim 14, wherein the small-sized metal oxide precursor particles have a median particle diameter of 1 μm to 10 μm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method for preparing a cathode active material according to claim 14, wherein the calcination is performed at a temperature of 700° C. to 1000° C.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method for preparing a cathode active material according to claim 14, wherein the lithium metal oxide particles have a single-particle structure.