The invention relates to a process for preparing aluminates of the general formula (I)

A.sub.1B.sub.xAl.sub.12-xO.sub.19-y where A is at least one element from the group consisting of Sr, Ba and La, B is at least one element from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Rh, Cu and Zn, x=0.05-1.0, y is a value determined by the oxidation states of the other elements, which comprises the steps (i) provision of one or more solutions or suspensions comprising precursor compounds of the elements A and B and also a precursor compound of aluminum in a solvent, (ii) conversion of the solutions or suspensions or the solutions into an aerosol, (iii) introduction of the aerosol into a directly or indirectly heated pyrolysis zone, (iv) carrying out of the pyrolysis and (v) separation of the resulting particles comprising hexaaluminate of the general formula (I) from the pyrolysis gas.

A dispersed iron oxide magnetic powder slurry, in which the average secondary particle diameter of ε-type iron oxide measured with a dynamic light scattering particle size distribution analyzer is 65 nm or less, and which has good dispersibility, is obtained by adding a quaternary ammonium salt serving as a first dispersant and an alkali to a slurry containing ε-type iron oxide particles to bring the pH at 25° C. to 11 or higher, and thereafter adding an organic compound, which is an organic acid serving as a second dispersant and having two or more carboxy groups in the molecule, and in which one type or two types of a hydroxy group and an amino group are bound to carbon that does not constitute a carboxy group other than the carboxy groups to bring the pH at 25° C. of the slurry to 4 or higher and lower than 11.

A positive-electrode material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a lithium complex compound that is represented by the formula: Li.sub.1+aNi.sub.bMn.sub.cCo.sub.dTi.sub.eM.sub.fO.sub.2+α, and has an atomic ratio Ti.sup.3+/Ti.sup.4+ between Ti.sup.3+ and Ti.sup.4+, as determined through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, of greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 20. In the formula, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Zr, Mo, and Nb, and a, b, c, d, e, f, and α are numbers satisfying −0.1≦a≦0.2, 0.7<b≦0.9, 0≦c<0.3, 0≦d<0.3, 0<e≦0.25, 0≦f<0.3, b+c+d+e+f=1, and −0.2≦α≦0.2.

A lithium-cobalt-based composite oxide used for a positive electrode active material of an electrochemical device, wherein the lithium-cobalt-based composite oxide has elutable fluoride ions, the elutable fluoride ions being eluted to an eluate when the lithium-cobalt-based composite oxide is dispersed to ultrapure water, in a mass ratio of 500 ppm or more and 15000 ppm or less in comparison with the lithium-cobalt-based composite oxide, and the lithium-cobalt-based composite oxide has a composition shown by the following general formula (1): Li.sub.1-xCo.sub.1-zM.sub.zO.sub.2-aF.sub.a (−0.1≦x<1, 0≦z<1, 0≦a<2) . . . (1) (wherein, M represents one or more kinds of metal element selected from the group of Mn, Ni, Fe, V, Cr, Al, Nb, Ti, Cu, and Zn).

A solid ionic conducting material for use in an electrochemical device comprises an oxyhydroxide or hydrated oxide derived from of an oxide with a perovskite, Brownmillerite, layered oxide, and/or K.sub.4CdCl.sub.6 structure, the elemental composition of the initial oxide being selected to provide suitable conduction properties for the derived anhydrous or hydrated oxyhydroxide or hydrated oxide. A method of making such a solid ionic conducting material, including treatment with water, and an electrochemical device incorporating such a solid ionic conducting material (optionally as an electrolyte) are also disclosed.

The use of a C10~C34 fatty acids compound in the preparation of a the electrode materials for lithium-ion battery improves the coating uniformity of electrode materials prepared with solid-state method. The fatty acid provided by the invention is a dispersant, which achieves the uniformly dispersion of the coating material on the surface of battery material, and significantly increases the coating uniformity of the electrode material coated with solid-state method, it greatly improves the feasibility of manufacturing the electrode material of lithium-ion battery with solid-state method, and is conducive to the more economical and simpler manufacture of electrode material.

Various lithium cobalt oxides materials doped with one or more metal dopants having a chemical formula of Li.sub.xCo.sub.yO.sub.z (doped Me1.sub.a Me2.sub.b Me3.sub.c . . . MeN.sub.n), and method and apparatus of producing the various lithium cobalt oxides materials are provided. The method includes adjusting a molar ratio M.sub.LiSalt:M.sub.CoSalt:M.sub.Me1Salt:M.sub.Me2Salt:M.sub.Me3Salt:. . . M.sub.MeNSalt of a lithium-containing salt, a cobalt-containing salt and one or more metal-dopant-containing salts within a liquid mixture to be equivalent to a ratio of x:y:a:b:c: . . . n , drying a mist of the liquid mixture in the presence of a gas to form a gas-solid mixture, separating the gas-solid mixture into one or more solid particles of an oxide material, and annealing the solid particles of the oxide material in the presence of another gas flow to obtain crystalized particles of the lithium cobalt oxide material. The process system has a mist generator, a drying chamber, one or more gas-solid separator, and one or more reactors.

Provided is a method for separating impurities and cobalt without using an electrolysis process from a cobalt chloride solution containing impurities and producing a high purity cobalt sulfate. The production method includes: a first solvent extraction step (S1) of bringing an organic solvent containing an alkyl phosphoric acid-based extractant into contact with a cobalt chloride solution containing impurities, and extracting zinc, manganese, and calcium into the organic solvent to separate to remove zinc, manganese, and calcium; a copper removal step (S2) of adding a sulfurizing agent to a cobalt chloride solution and generating a precipitate of sulfide of copper to separate to remove copper; a second solvent extraction step (S3) of bringing an organic solvent containing a carboxylic acid-based extractant into contact with a cobalt chloride solution and back extracting cobalt with sulfuric acid after extracting cobalt into the organic solvent to obtain cobalt sulfate solution; and a crystallization step (S4) of the cobalt sulfate solution obtained after having undergone through the second solvent extraction step (S3). These steps are sequentially executed. Without using an electrolysis process, a high purity cobalt sulfate is directly produced by separating cobalt and impurities containing manganese.

The present invention relates to an anode active material for lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery including the same, and more specifically it relates to an anode active material for lithium secondary battery in which the a lithium ion diffusion path in the primary particles is formed to exhibit specific directivity, and a lithium secondary battery including the same. The cathode active material for lithium secondary battery of the present invention has a lithium ion diffusion path exhibiting specific directivity in the primary particles and the secondary particles, thus not only the conduction velocity of the lithium ion is fast and the lithium ion conductivity is high but also the cycle characteristics are improved as the crystal structure hardly collapses despite repeated charging and discharging.

Disclosed herein are doped perovskite oxides. The doped perovskite oxides may be used as a cathode material in an electrochemical cell to electrochemically generate ammonia from N.sub.2. The doped perovskite oxides may be combined with nitride compounds, for instance iron nitride, to further increase the efficiency of the ammonia production.