A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte solution, wherein the positive electrode includes a composite oxide including lithium as a first metal, and a second metal X other than lithium; in the composite oxide, the second metal X includes Ni, Al, and Mn; the second metal X does not contain Co or the atomic ratio Co/X of Co to the second metal X is 0.02 or less; and the electrolyte solution contains a chain carboxylic acid ester having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and a cyclic compound having a ring structure composed of 2 oxygen atoms and 3 to 5 carbon atoms.

Provided is a lithium secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material; and a first functional layer between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the first functional layer includes plate-like polyolefin particles having an average diameter of 1 μm to 8 μm, and the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer including a positive electrode active material and a flame retardant, or has a stacked structure including a positive electrode active material layer and a second functional layer including a flame retardant.

Provided is a lithium secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material; and a first functional layer between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the first functional layer includes plate-like polyolefin particles having an average diameter of 1 μm to 8 μm, and the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer including a positive electrode active material and a flame retardant, or has a stacked structure including a positive electrode active material layer and a second functional layer including a flame retardant.

A positive electrode active material having a crystal structure that is unlikely to be broken by repeated charging and discharging is provided. A positive electrode active material with high charge and discharge capacity is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a positive electrode active material containing lithium, cobalt, nickel, and oxygen; in which a molar ratio of lithium, cobalt, and nickel is lithium: cobalt: nickel=1:1−x: x (0.3<x<0.75); in which the average of a bond distance between cobalt and oxygen and a bond distance between nickel and oxygen is longer than or equal to 1.94×10.sup.−10 m and shorter than or equal to 2.1×10.sup.−10 m in a crystal structure of the positive electrode active material; and in which the average of an angle formed between a line connecting cobalt to an adjacent oxygen and a line connecting cobalt to another adjacent oxygen and an angle formed between a line connecting nickel to an adjacent oxygen and a line connecting nickel to another adjacent oxygen is greater than or equal to 86.5° and less than 90°.

A positive electrode active material having a crystal structure that is unlikely to be broken by repeated charging and discharging is provided. A positive electrode active material with high charge and discharge capacity is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is a positive electrode active material containing lithium, cobalt, nickel, and oxygen; in which a molar ratio of lithium, cobalt, and nickel is lithium: cobalt: nickel=1:1−x: x (0.3<x<0.75); in which the average of a bond distance between cobalt and oxygen and a bond distance between nickel and oxygen is longer than or equal to 1.94×10.sup.−10 m and shorter than or equal to 2.1×10.sup.−10 m in a crystal structure of the positive electrode active material; and in which the average of an angle formed between a line connecting cobalt to an adjacent oxygen and a line connecting cobalt to another adjacent oxygen and an angle formed between a line connecting nickel to an adjacent oxygen and a line connecting nickel to another adjacent oxygen is greater than or equal to 86.5° and less than 90°.

This positive electrode active substance for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery contains a lithium-transition metal composite oxide which has a crystal structure belonging to the space group Fm-3m and is represented by the compositional formula Li.sub.xMn.sub.yM.sub.aO.sub.bF.sub.c (in the formula: M is at least one type of metal element excluding Mn; x+y+a=b+c=2; 1<x≤1.35; 0.4≤y≤0.9; 0≤a≤0.2; and 1.3≤b≤1.8). In addition, the lattice constant a of the lithium-transition metal composite oxide is 4.09-4.16.

This positive electrode active substance for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery contains a lithium-transition metal composite oxide which has a crystal structure belonging to the space group Fm-3m and is represented by the compositional formula Li.sub.xMn.sub.yM.sub.aO.sub.bF.sub.c (in the formula: M is at least one type of metal element excluding Mn; x+y+a=b+c=2; 1<x≤1.35; 0.4≤y≤0.9; 0≤a≤0.2; and 1.3≤b≤1.8). In addition, the lattice constant a of the lithium-transition metal composite oxide is 4.09-4.16.

In a method of recovering an active metal of a lithium secondary battery, a cathode active material mixture is prepared from a waste cathode of a lithium secondary. The cathode active material mixture is reacted with a reductive reaction gas to form a preliminary precursor mixture having a reduction degree of transition metal defined by Equation 1 in a range from 0.24 to 1.6. A lithium precursor is recovered from the preliminary precursor mixture. A lithium recovery rationis improved by adjusting the reduction degree of transition metal.

In a method of recovering an active metal of a lithium secondary battery, a cathode active material mixture is prepared from a waste cathode of a lithium secondary. The cathode active material mixture is reacted with a reductive reaction gas to form a preliminary precursor mixture having a reduction degree of transition metal defined by Equation 1 in a range from 0.24 to 1.6. A lithium precursor is recovered from the preliminary precursor mixture. A lithium recovery rationis improved by adjusting the reduction degree of transition metal.

A positive electrode for a secondary battery including a positive electrode current collector, and a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material and disposed on a surface of the positive electrode current collector. The positive electrode mixture layer contains a first positive electrode active material having a compressive strength of 400 MPa or more, and a second positive electrode active material having a compressive strength of 250 MPa or less. When the positive electrode mixture layer is divided into a first region and a second region having the same thickness, the first positive electrode active material is contained more in the first region than in the second region, and the second positive electrode active material is contained more in the second region than in the first region.