Stabilized spinel battery cathode material and methods

• Main Authors: SHEARGOLD STEPHEN W, PETERSON ROBERT L, HOWARD, JR. WILMONT F, STORY PHILLIP M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.05.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSESC01D OR C01F; ELECTRICITY; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

Improved stabilized spinel battery cathode material and methods of treating particles of spinel battery cathode material to produce a protective coating of battery-inactive lithium metal oxide on the particles are provided. The methods basically comprise mixing the spinel particles with a particulate reactant selected from a lithium salt, a lithium metal oxide or a mixture of a lithium salt and a metal oxide and then heating the resultant particulate mixture for a time and temperature to react the particulate reactant with the spinel particles whereby a protective coating of lithium metal oxide is formed on the spinel particles and the lithium content of the spinel adjacent to the coating is increased a limited amount.