Process for producing lithium manganese oxide spinel

• Main Authors: W.L. BOWDEN, P. GIONET, E.I. WANG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSESC01D OR C01F; COMPOUNDS OF ALKALI METALS, i.e. LITHIUM, SODIUM, POTASSIUM,RUBIDIUM, CAESIUM, OR FRANCIUM; ELECTRICITY; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

A method of making lithium manganese oxide of spinel structure is disclosed. The method involves the step of prelithiating a manganese oxide by reacting it with lithium hydroxide or lithium salt and then reacting the prelithiated manganese oxide in a second step at elevated temperature to form a lithium manganese oxide spinel. In a specific embodiment manganese dioxide powder is reacted with lithium hydroxide to prelithiate the manganese dioxide and the prelithiated manganese dioxide is separated from the reaction mixture and heated and reacted with lithium carbonate at elevated temperature to convert it to lithium manganese oxide spinel. The spinel product may be used advantageously in secondary (rechargeable) batteries.\!