A positive-electrode active material precursor for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided that includes a nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate composite represented by general formula Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zM.sub.tCO.sub.3 (where x+y+z+t=1, 0.05≤x≤0.3, 0.1≤y≤0.4, 0.55≤z≤0.8, 0≤t≤0.1, and M denotes at least one additional element selected from a group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W) and a hydrogen-containing functional group, wherein H/Me representing the ratio of the amount of hydrogen to the amount of metal components Me included in the positive-electrode active material precursor is greater than or equal to 1.60.

A positive-electrode active material precursor for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided that includes a nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate composite represented by general formula Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zM.sub.tCO.sub.3 (where x+y+z+t=1, 0.05≤x≤0.3, 0.1≤y≤0.4, 0.55≤z≤0.8, 0≤t≤0.1, and M denotes at least one additional element selected from a group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W) and a hydrogen-containing functional group, wherein H/Me representing the ratio of the amount of hydrogen to the amount of metal components Me included in the positive-electrode active material precursor is greater than or equal to 1.60.

A method according to an embodiment is for recovering a valuable metal from a waste electrode material of a lithium secondary battery by using lithium carbonate. An anode-cathode mixed electrode material that has been separated by draining, crushing, screening, and sorting a waste lithium secondary battery is preprocessed. A precipitation operation performed by adding lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) to a metal melt acquired by performing sulfuric acid dissolution using sulfuric acid. A valuable metal such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, and copper is recovered as a residue in the form of a carbonate composite, and a lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) aqueous solution including lithium is recovered as a filtrate.

A method according to an embodiment is for recovering a valuable metal from a waste electrode material of a lithium secondary battery by using lithium carbonate. An anode-cathode mixed electrode material that has been separated by draining, crushing, screening, and sorting a waste lithium secondary battery is preprocessed. A precipitation operation performed by adding lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) to a metal melt acquired by performing sulfuric acid dissolution using sulfuric acid. A valuable metal such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, and copper is recovered as a residue in the form of a carbonate composite, and a lithium sulfate (Li2SO4) aqueous solution including lithium is recovered as a filtrate.

The invention relates to a method for preparing core-shell structured particle precursor under a co-precipitation reaction. In this method, by controlling the feeding of different types of anion compositions and/or cation compositions, and adjusting the pH to match with the species, precipitated particles are deposited to form a precipitated particle slurry, filtering, and drying the precipitated particle slurry to yield the particle precursor. The invention also provides a particle precursor which includes a core-shell structure. The shell is made of gradient anions and/or cations. Such particle precursor can be used to prepare cathode of lithium-ion battery.

The invention relates to a method for preparing core-shell structured particle precursor under a co-precipitation reaction. In this method, by controlling the feeding of different types of anion compositions and/or cation compositions, and adjusting the pH to match with the species, precipitated particles are deposited to form a precipitated particle slurry, filtering, and drying the precipitated particle slurry to yield the particle precursor. The invention also provides a particle precursor which includes a core-shell structure. The shell is made of gradient anions and/or cations. Such particle precursor can be used to prepare cathode of lithium-ion battery.

A carbonate precursor compound for manufacturing a lithium metal (M)-oxide powder usable as an active positive electrode material in lithium-ion batteries, M comprising 20 to 90 mol % Ni, 10 to 70 mol % Mn and 10 to 40 mol % Co, the precursor further comprising a sodium and sulfur impurity, wherein the sodium to sulfur molar ratio (Na/S) is 0.4<Na/S<2. Theslithium metal (M)-oxide powder has a particle size distribution with 10 μm≦D50≦20 μm, a specific surface with 0.9≦BET≦5, the BET being expressed in g/cm2, the powder further comprises a sodium and sulfur impurity, wherein the sum (2* Nawt)+Swt of the sodium (Nawt) and sulfur (S wt) content expressed in wt % is more than 0.4 wt % and less than 1.6 wt %, and wherein the sodium to sulfur molar ratio (Na/S) is 0.4<Na/S<2.

A carbonate precursor compound for manufacturing a lithium metal (M)-oxide powder usable as an active positive electrode material in lithium-ion batteries, M comprising 20 to 90 mol % Ni, 10 to 70 mol % Mn and 10 to 40 mol % Co, the precursor further comprising a sodium and sulfur impurity, wherein the sodium to sulfur molar ratio (Na/S) is 0.4<Na/S<2. Theslithium metal (M)-oxide powder has a particle size distribution with 10 μm≦D50≦20 μm, a specific surface with 0.9≦BET≦5, the BET being expressed in g/cm2, the powder further comprises a sodium and sulfur impurity, wherein the sum (2* Nawt)+Swt of the sodium (Nawt) and sulfur (S wt) content expressed in wt % is more than 0.4 wt % and less than 1.6 wt %, and wherein the sodium to sulfur molar ratio (Na/S) is 0.4<Na/S<2.

A positive electrode active material precursor for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided that includes a nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate composite represented by general formula Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zM.sub.tCO.sub.3 (where x+y+z+t=1, 0.05≤x≤0.3, 0.1≤y≤0.4, 0≤t≤0.1, and M denotes at least one additional element selected from a group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W) and a hydrogen-containing functional group. The ratio H/Me of the amount of hydrogen H to the amount of metal components Me included in the positive electrode active material precursor is less than 1.60. The positive electrode active material further includes a secondary particle formed by a plurality of primary particles that have been aggregated.

A positive electrode active material precursor for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided that includes a nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate composite represented by general formula Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zM.sub.tCO.sub.3 (where x+y+z+t=1, 0.05≤x≤0.3, 0.1≤y≤0.4, 0≤t≤0.1, and M denotes at least one additional element selected from a group consisting of Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W) and a hydrogen-containing functional group. The ratio H/Me of the amount of hydrogen H to the amount of metal components Me included in the positive electrode active material precursor is less than 1.60. The positive electrode active material further includes a secondary particle formed by a plurality of primary particles that have been aggregated.