A process for preparing a metal oxide-containing powder that comprises conducting spray pyrolysis that comprises aerosolizing a slurry that comprises solidphase particles in a liquid that comprises at least one precursor compound, which comprises one or more metallic elements of at least one metal oxide, to form droplets of said slurry, and calcining the droplets to at least partially decompose the at least one precursor compound and form the metal oxide-containing powder having a non-hollow morphology.

Lithium metal oxides may be regenerated under ambient conditions from materials recovered from partially or fully depleted lithium-ion batteries. Recovered lithium and metal materials may be reduced to nanoparticles and recombined to produce regenerated lithium metal oxides. The regenerated lithium metal oxides may be used to produce rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

A cathode active material contains a compound having a crystal structure of space group FM-3M, represented by composition formula (1), and having a half-width in 2δ of 0.9° or more and 2.4° or less for a (200) diffraction peak in powder X-ray diffraction (XRD): Li.sub.xMe.sub.yO.sub.2. . . (1). In the formula, Me represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mn, Nb, Ti, Ni, Co, Fe, Sn, Cu, Mo, Bi, V, and Cr. In addition to this, the following conditions are met: 0.5≦x/y≦3.0; and 1.5≦x+y≦2.3.

The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery including the same, and the positive electrode active material includes lithium cobalt oxide particles. The lithium cobalt oxide particles include lithium cobalt oxide having a Li/Co molar ratio of less than 1 in the particles. Good rate property and life property may be obtained without worrying on the deterioration of initial capacity property.

A mixed conductor represented by Formula 1:
A.sub.1±xM.sub.2±yO.sub.4−δ  Formula 1
wherein, in Formula 1, A is a monovalent cation, and M is at least one of a monovalent cation, a divalent cation, a trivalent cation, a tetravalent cation, a pentavalent cation, or a hexavalent cation, 0≤x≤1, 0≤y≤2, and 0≤δ≤1, with the proviso that when M includes vanadium, 0<δ≤1, and wherein the mixed conductor has an inverse spinel crystal structure.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a slurry for a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing an alkali metal complex oxide, the method making it possible to reliably deaerate surplus carbonic acid gas after an alkali component of a slurry containing the alkali metal complex oxide is neutralized within a short period of time. The method for manufacturing a slurry for a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a step of manufacturing an electrode slurry including a step of performing a neutralization treatment on an alkali component in the slurry by using inorganic carbon dissolved in a solvent of the slurry and a step of deaerating the inorganic carbon in the slurry as carbonic acid gas by causing cavitation.

According to one embodiment, an active material is provided. This active material includes active material particles containing orthorhombic Na-containing niobium titanium composite oxide, and satisfies the following formula (1):

1≦A5/A0  (1) where A5 is a mole content ratio of a Li mole content L5 to a total of a Ti mole content T5 and a Nb mole content N5, and A0 is a mole content ratio of a Li mole content L0 to a total of a Ti mole content T0 and a Nb mole content N0.

A lithium cobalt oxide sintered body having a bending strength of 100 MPa or more, and a sputtering target formed using the sintered body are provided. In particular, a cylindrical sputtering target for use in rotary sputtering is provided. The sputtering target is useful in forming a cathode material thin film in an all-solid thin film lithium ion secondary battery for use in vehicles, telecommunication equipment and household equipment.

A positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a first oxide particle having a layered structure and a second oxide layer located in a surface of the first oxide particle and including a second oxide represented by the following Chemical Formula 1: M.sub.aL.sub.bO.sub.c, wherein in Chemical Formula 1, 0<a≦3, 1≦b≦2, 3.8≦c≦4.2, M is at least one element selected from the group of Mg, Al, Ga, and combinations thereof, and L is at least one element selected from of group Ti, Zr, and combinations thereof.

There is provided a lithium-transition metal oxide powder with a coating layer containing lithium niobate formed on a part or the whole part of a surface of a lithium-transition metal oxide particle and having a low powder compact resistance, and a positive electrode active material for a lithium ion battery containing the lithium-transition metal oxide powder. Specifically, there is provided the lithium-transition metal oxide powder composed of a lithium-transition metal oxide particle with a part or the whole part of a surface coated with a coating layer containing lithium niobate, wherein a carbon-content is 0.03 mass % or less.