Carbonate Precursors for Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide Cathode Material and the Method of Making Same

摘要

A method for producing a M-carbonate precursor of a Li-M oxide cathode material in a continuous reactor, wherein M=NixMnyCozAn, A being a dopant, with x0, y0, 0≦z≦0.35, 0≦n≦0.02 and x+y+z+n=1, the method comprising the steps of: —providing a feed solution comprising Ni-, Mn-, Co- and A-ions, and having a molar metal content M″ feed, —providing an ionic solution comprising either one or both of a carbonate and a bicarbonate solution, the ionic solution further comprising either one or both of Na- and K-ions, —providing a slurry comprising seeds comprising M′-ions and having a molar metal content M′ seeds, wherein M′=Nix′Mny′Coz′A′n′, A′ being a dopant, with 0≦x′≦1, 0≦y′≦1, 0≦z′≦1, 0≦n′≦1 and x′+y′+z′+n′=1, and wherein the molar ratio M′ seeds/M″ feed is between 0.001 and 0.1, —mixing the feed solution, the ionic solution and the slurry in the reactor, thereby obtaining a reactive liquid mixture, —precipitating a carbonate onto the seeds in the reactive liquid mixture, thereby obtaining a reacted liquid mixture and the M-carbonate precursor, and —separating the M-carbonate precursor from the reacted liquid mixture.