A composition includes a first portion including Ni-rich LiNi.sub.xCo.sub.γMn.sub.zO.sub.2, where 0.5<x<1, 0<y<1, 0<z<1; a second portion including Li.sub.αZr.sub.βO.sub.γ, where 0<α<9, 0<β<3, and 1<γ<10 such that the second portion is coated on the first portion, and the first portion is doped with an elemental metal selected from at least one of Zr, Si, Sn, Nb, Ta, Al, and Fe. A method of forming a composition includes mixing a metal precursor with nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) precursor to form a first mixture; adding a lithium-based compound to the first mixture to form a second mixture; and calcining the second mixture at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time to form the composition.

The nickel-containing hydroxide particle covered with cobalt, wherein in a volume-based particle size distribution, the nickel-containing hydroxide particle covered with cobalt has the maximum peak with a height a, one peak at a height of (½)a or higher, and has a value A of formula (1) calculated from a width b of the maximum peak at a height of (½)a, and in a volume-based particle size distribution after compression treatment, the nickel-containing hydroxide particle covered with cobalt has the maximum peak with a height c, and has a value B of formula (2) calculated from a width d of the maximum peak at a height of (½)c, and wherein the value B and the value A have a relation represented by formula (3):

A=[(b×(½)a]/2  (1)

B=[(d×(½)c]/2  (2)

−1.50≤[(B−A)/A]×1005.00  (3)

The nickel-containing hydroxide particle covered with cobalt, wherein in a volume-based particle size distribution, the nickel-containing hydroxide particle covered with cobalt has the maximum peak with a height a, one peak at a height of (½)a or higher, and has a value A of formula (1) calculated from a width b of the maximum peak at a height of (½)a, and in a volume-based particle size distribution after compression treatment, the nickel-containing hydroxide particle covered with cobalt has the maximum peak with a height c, and has a value B of formula (2) calculated from a width d of the maximum peak at a height of (½)c, and wherein the value B and the value A have a relation represented by formula (3):

A=[(b×(½)a]/2  (1)

B=[(d×(½)c]/2  (2)

−1.50≤[(B−A)/A]×1005.00  (3)

A method for recycling a positive electrode material. the method includes obtaining positive electrode material particles from a positive electrode. The method further includes mixing the positive electrode material particles with a solution or powder containing sodium ions and heat-treating the mixture including the positive electrode material particles and the solution or power containing sodium ions. The method further includes rinsing the heat-treated positive electrode material particles with water.

The present invention relates to an electrode active material, a preparation method thereof, an electrode, a battery, and an apparatus. The electrode active material includes: a core and a coating layer, where the core includes a ternary material, the coating layer coats the core, the coating layer includes a reaction product of a sulfur-containing compound and a lithium-containing compound, and the reaction product includes element Li, element S, and element O.

This application provides a positive active material, a positive electrode plate, an electrochemical energy storage apparatus, and an apparatus. The positive active material is Li.sub.xNi.sub.yCo.sub.zM.sub.kMe.sub.pO.sub.rA.sub.m, or Li.sub.xNi.sub.yCo.sub.zM.sub.kMe.sub.pO.sub.rA.sub.m with a coating layer on its surface; and the positive active material is single crystal or quasi-single crystal particles, and a particle size D.sub.n10 of the positive active material satisfies: 0.3 μm≤D.sub.n10≤2 μm. In this application, particle morphology of the positive active material and an amount of micro powder in the positive active material are properly controlled, to effectively reduce side reactions between the positive active material and an electrolyte solution, decrease gas production of the electrochemical energy storage apparatus, and improve storage performance of the electrochemical energy storage apparatus without deteriorating an energy density, cycle performance, and rate performance of the electrochemical energy storage apparatus.

Compounds that can be used as cathode active materials for lithium ion batteries are described. In some embodiments, the cathode active material includes the compound Li.sub.xNi.sub.aM.sub.bN.sub.cO.sub.2 where M is selected from Mn, Ti, Zr, Ge, Sn, Te and a combination thereof; N is selected from Mg, Be, Ca, Sr, Ba, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and a combination thereof; 0.9<x<1.1; 0.7<a<1; 0<b<0.3; 0<c<0.3; and a+b+c=1. Other cathode active materials, precursors, and methods of manufacture are presented.

Process for making a particulate (oxy)hydroxide of TM wherein TM comprises nickel and where-in said process comprises the steps of: (a) Providing an aqueous solution (α) containing water-soluble salts of Ni and of at least one transition metal selected from Co and Mn, and, optionally, at least one further metal sel-ected from Ti, Zr, Mo, W, Al, Mg, Nb, and Ta, and an aqueous solution (β) containing an alkali metal hydroxide and, optionally, an aqueous solution (γ) containing ammonia, (b) combining a solution (α) and a solution (β) and, if applicable, a solution (γ) at a pH value in the range of from 12.0 to 13.0 in a stirred tank reactor, thereby creating solid particles of a hydroxide containing nickel, said solid particles being slurried, (c) transferring said slurry into another stirred tank reactor and combining it with a solution (α) and a solution (β) and, if applicable, a solution (γ) at a pH value in the range of from 11.0 to 12.7 and at conditions wherein the solubility of nickel is higher than in step (b), wherein the stirring speed is reduced in the course of step (c).

Provided are a nickel-based active material for a lithium secondary battery, a method of preparing the nickel-based active material, and a lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode including the nickel-based active material. The nickel-based active material includes at least one secondary particle that includes at least two primary particle structures, the primary particle structures each including a porous inner portion and an outer portion having a radially arranged structure, and the secondary particle including at least two radial centers.

A lithium-manganese composite oxide containing a lithium-iron-manganese composite oxide represented by the composition formula. Li.sub.1+x−w(Fe.sub.yNi.sub.zMn.sub.1−y−z).sub.1−xO.sub.2−δ, where 0<x<⅓, 0≤w<0.8, 0<y<1, 0<z<0.5, y+z<1, and 0≤δ<0.5, in which at least in a state of charge of a lithium ion battery using the lithium-manganese composite oxide as a positive-electrode active material, at least some of iron atoms are pentavalent.