This disclosure relates to a rechargeable battery cell comprising an active metal, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, a housing and an electrolyte, the positive electrode being designed as a high-voltage electrode and the electrolyte being based on SO.sub.2 and at least one first conducting salt having the formula (I),

##STR00001##

M being a metal selected from the group formed by alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metals of group 12 of the periodic table of the elements, and aluminum; x being an integer from 1 to 3; the substituents R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 being selected independently of one another from the group formed by C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkynyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14 aryl and C.sub.5-C.sub.14 heteroaryl; and Z being aluminum or boron.

This disclosure relates to a rechargeable battery cell comprising an active metal, at least one positive electrode having a discharge element, at least one negative electrode having a discharge element, a housing and an electrolyte, the negative electrode comprising metallic lithium at least in the charged state of the rechargeable battery cell and the electrolyte being based on SO.sub.2 and comprising at least one first conducting salt which has the formula (I),

##STR00001## M being a metal selected from the group formed by alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metals of group 12 of the periodic table of the elements, and aluminum; x being an integer from 1 to 3; the substituents R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 being selected independently of one another from the group formed by C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkynyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14 aryl and C.sub.5-C.sub.14 heteroaryl; and Z being aluminum or boron.

A method of producing a positive-electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided. The method includes obtaining a precipitate containing nickel and manganese from a solution containing nickel and manganese, heat-treating the resulting precipitate at a temperature of from 850° C. to less than 1100° C. to obtain a first heat-treated product, mixing the first heat-treated product and a lithium compound, and heat-treating the resulting lithium-containing mixture at a temperature of from 550° C. to 1000° C. to obtain a second heat-treated product. The second heat-treated product contains a group of lithium transition metal composite oxide particles having an average particle diameter D.sub.SEM of from 0.5 μm to less than 3 μm and D.sub.50/D.sub.SEM of 1 to 2.5. The lithium transition metal composite oxide particles have a spinel structure based on nickel and manganese.

A method for preparing a positive electrode active material for a lithium battery consisting of a lithiated oxide comprising titanium and optionally one or more other metal elements comprising the following successive steps: a) a step of forming a precipitate comprising titanium and the optional other metal element(s) by contacting a titanium coordination complex and, if necessary, at least one salt of the other metal element(s) with an aqueous medium; b) a step of recovering the precipitate thus formed; c) a step of calcining the precipitate in the presence of a lithium source.

This disclosure relates to a rechargeable battery cell comprising an active metal, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, a housing and an electrolyte, the positive electrode comprising at least one polyanionic compound as an active material and the electrolyte being based on SO.sub.2 and comprising at least one first conducting salt which has the formula (I),

##STR00001##

M being a metal selected from the group formed by alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metals of group 12 of the periodic table of the elements, and aluminum; x being an integer from 1 to 3; the substituents R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 being selected independently of one another from the group formed by C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkynyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14 aryl and C.sub.5-C.sub.14 heteroaryl; and Z being aluminum or boron.

This disclosure relates to a rechargeable battery cell, comprising: an active metal; at least one positive electrode; at least one negative electrode comprising an active material selected from the group consisting of an insertion material made of carbon, an alloy-forming active material, an intercalation material which does not comprise carbon, and a conversion active material; an SO.sub.2 based electrolyte comprising a first conducting salt which has the formula (I),

##STR00001##

wherein: M is a metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metals of group 12 of the periodic table of the elements, and aluminum; x is an integer from 1 to 3; R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are selected independently of one another from the group consisting of C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkynyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14 aryl and C.sub.5-C.sub.14 heteroaryl; and Z is aluminum or boron.

This disclosure relates to a rechargeable battery cell having an active metal, at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, a housing and an electrolyte, the positive electrode comprising at least one compound in the form of a layered oxide as an active material and the electrolyte being based on SO.sub.2 and comprising at least one first conducting salt which has the formula (I),

##STR00001##

M being a metal selected from the group formed by alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metals of group 12 of the periodic table of the elements, and aluminum; x being an integer from 1 to 3; the substituents R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 being selected independently of one another from the group formed by C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkenyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10 alkynyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14 aryl and C.sub.5-C.sub.14 heteroaryl; and Z being aluminum or boron.

The present invention provides a method for forming a lithium ion cathode material. The method comprises reacting elemental metal with a multi-carboxylic acid to form an oxide precursor and heating the oxide precursor to form the lithium ion cathode material. In a preferred embodiment the elemental mixture comprises at least two of Ni, Mn, Co and Al.

Provided is an improved method for forming lithium ion cathode materials specifically for use in a battery. The method comprises forming a first solution comprising a digestible feedstock of a first metal suitable for formation of a cathode oxide precursor and a multi-carboxylic acid. The digestible feedstock is digested to form a first metal salt in solution wherein the first metal salt precipitates as a salt of deprotonated multi-carboxylic acid thereby forming an oxide precursor. The oxide precursor is heated to form the lithium ion cathode material.

The present invention provides a precursor of positive electrode active substance particles for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries which have a high discharge voltage and a high discharge capacity, hardly suffer from side reactions with an electrolyte solution, and are excellent in cycle characteristics, positive electrode active substance particles for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, and processes for producing these particles, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The present invention relates to positive electrode active substance particles for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries having a spinel structure with a composition represented by the following chemical formula (1), in which the positive electrode active substance particles satisfy the following characteristic (A) and/or characteristic (B) when indexed with Fd-3m in X-ray diffraction thereof: (A) when indexed with Fd-3m in X-ray diffraction of the positive electrode active substance particles, a ratio of I(311) to I(111) [I(311)/I(111)] is in the range of 35 to 43%, and/or (B) when indexed with Fd-3m in X-ray diffraction of the positive electrode active substance particles, a gradient of a straight line determined by a least square method in a graph prepared by plotting sin θ in an abscissa thereof and B cos θ in an ordinate thereof wherein B is a full-width at half maximum with respect to each peak position 2θ (10 to 90°) is in the range of 3.0×10.sup.−4 to 20.0×10.sup.−4; and
Li.sub.1+xMn.sub.2−y−zNi.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.4  Chemical Formula (1)
wherein x, y, z fall within the range of −0.05.Math.x.Math.0.15, 0.4.Math.y.Math.0.6 and 0.Math.z.Math.0.20, respectively; and M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Co, Zn, Sb, Ba, W and Bi.