Process for making a particulate (oxy)hydroxide or oxide, particulate (oxy)hydroxide or oxide and use

A process for making a particulate (oxy)hydroxide or oxide of TM wherein TM represents metals, wherein TM comprises nickel and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt and manganese and wherein the nickel content of TM is at least 80 mol-%, wherein said process is performed in a cascade of at least three stirred tank reactors and comprises the steps of:

• (a) providing an aqueous solution (α1) containing a water-soluble salt of Ni and, optionally, at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt and manganese, and an aqueous solution (β1) containing an alkali metal hydroxide and, optionally, an aqueous solution (γ1) containing a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of ammonia, glycine, tartrate, citrate, and oxalate,
• (b) combining, in a first stirred tank reactor, solution (α1) and solution (β1) and, if applicable, solution (γ1), at a pH value in the range of from 11.0 to 13.5 and with an average energy input in the range of from 8 to 20 W/l, thereby creating slurried solid particles of a hydroxide of TM,
• (c) transferring the particles from step (b) as a slurry into a second stirred tank reactor,
• (d) providing an aqueous solution (α2) containing a water-soluble salt of Ni and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt and manganese, and an aqueous solution (β2) containing an alkali metal hydroxide and, optionally, an aqueous solution (γ2) containing a complexing agent selected from the group consisting of ammonia, glycine, tartrate, citrate, and oxalate,
• (e) combining solution (α2) and solution (β2) and, if applicable, solution (γ2), in said second stirred tank reactor at a pH value in the range of from 10.5 to 12.0 and with an average specific energy input in the range of from 2 to 8 W/l and by a factor of from 0.20 to 0.75 lower than in step (b), thereby growing the solid particles of a hydroxide of TM,
• (f) transferring the particles from step (e) as a slurry into a third stirred tank reactor,
• (g) combining solution (α2) and solution (β2) and, if applicable, solution (γ2), in said third stirred tank reactor at a pH value in the range of from 10.5 to 12.0,
• wherein the average specific energy input in step (g) is in the range of from 0.5 to 2 W/l and by a factor of 0.20 to 0.75 lower than in step (e), and wherein the pH values are determined at 23° C.