Doped Lithium Cobalt Oxide Cathode Particles for Battery Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lithium cobalt oxide-based cathodes in lithium ion batteries face issues with capacity fade, thermal stability, and energy storage, particularly at elevated temperatures, limiting their service life and safety in applications like electric vehicles.
Innovation Solution
Doping lithium cobalt oxide with nano-sized lanthanide oxides, such as cerium oxide, to create particles with specific stoichiometric ratios that enhance structural stability and electrochemical performance, resulting in improved charge/discharge capacities and thermal stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If lithium cobalt oxide is used as cathode material, then high voltage and ease of manufacture are achieved, but capacity fade rate increases with cycling and energy storage deteriorates at elevated temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition of lithium cobalt oxide through doping with aluminum and/or magnesium. Specifically, the patent introduces dopants at controlled concentrations (0.01-0.5 mol ratio relative to cobalt) to alter the crystal structure and electrochemical properties, thereby reducing capacity fade rate while maintaining manufacturability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite materials by combining lithium cobalt oxide with aluminum and/or magnesium dopants to form a doped cathode material. This composite approach integrates multiple elements (Li, Co, Al, Mg, O) to achieve synergistic effects that improve cycling stability and thermal performance while retaining the base material's manufacturability advantages
2Power
If lithium cobalt oxide is used as cathode material, then high voltage is achieved, but energy storage capacity deteriorates at elevated temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal and electrochemical parameters of lithium cobalt oxide by incorporating aluminum and/or magnesium dopants. These compositional changes enhance the material's thermal stability and maintain its voltage characteristics at elevated temperatures, allowing the cathode to retain energy storage capacity under high-temperature operating conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by strategically distributing aluminum and/or magnesium dopant atoms within the lithium cobalt oxide crystal structure. This localized doping approach targets specific sites to stabilize the crystal lattice and improve thermal resistance, thereby preserving energy storage capacity at elevated temperatures while maintaining the overall high voltage characteristic
3Stability of the object's composition
If dopant amount is increased to improve electrochemical performance, then structural stability improves, but composition control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for dopant concentration (0.01-0.5 mol ratio of Al and/or Mg to Co) to optimize structural stability. By defining this controlled parameter window, the patent achieves improved electrochemical performance while maintaining practical composition control during manufacturing, avoiding excessive complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of nano-sized lanthanide oxides in lithium cobalt oxide particles leads to enhanced electrochemical performance, including high specific discharge capacity and improved safety, with minimal capacity loss and increased thermal stability, making them suitable for advanced battery applications.
Implementation Method 1
Particles of doped lithium cobalt oxide of formula LiCo y O z ·t MO x wherein the doping agent MO x is selected from the group of lanthanide oxides
Implementation Method 2
The use of nano-sized lanthanide oxides in lithium cobalt oxide particles leads to enhanced electrochemical performance
Implementation Method 3
the positive and negative electrodes should have sufficient lability to accommodate and release lithium in a reversible manner
Implementation Method 4
The particles of doped lithium cobalt oxide are obtained by a process comprising: mixing the LiCo y O z particles with the nano-sized MO x ; homogenizing and milling of the mixture; and calcinating the result
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to provision of a novel high performance material manufactured from particles of doped lithium cobalt oxide which are usable in the manufacture of cathodes for lithium ion rechargeable (or storage) batteries. The doping agent is selected from the group of lanthanide oxides. Other objects of the invention are a method of improving the stability and the storage capacity of rechargeable lithium ion batteries and a method of manufacturing particles of doped lithium cobalt oxide according to the invention.