Process for preparing lithium intercalation compounds

US5879654A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Merck Patent GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Max E. Van Ghemen · Darmstadt, DE
• Birgit Sauerbrey · Bensheim, DE
• Ludwig Pohl · Darmstadt, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 27, 1996
• Grant date: Mar 9, 1999
• Expiry date: Mar 27, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for preparing lithium intercalation compounds by thermal solid state reaction of mixtures of lithium hydroxide or lithium oxide and oxides or oxide precursors of transition metals. A significant step of this process is the treatment of an aqueous suspension of the raw material components lithium hydroxide or lithium oxide and metal oxide or metal oxide precursors with hydrogen peroxide, resulting in the lithium compound going into solution. In the drying of the mixture, the lithium hydroxide is very uniformly absorbed onto the metal oxide. Calcination at temperatures between 450.degree. C. and 700.degree. C. results in complete reaction to form the lithium intercalation compound in less than 5 hours.