Ni-Co Composite Hydroxide Coprecipitation for BET Surface Area Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing composite hydroxides containing nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) face challenges in reducing production costs and uniformly controlling the BET specific surface area, which affects the reactivity with lithium, leading to suboptimal battery characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A method involving separate addition of nickel and cobalt containing aqueous solutions into a reaction vessel, with controlled pH and ammonium ion concentration, to produce composite hydroxides with a specific particle size distribution and BET surface area, ensuring uniform reactivity with lithium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to manufacture composite hydroxide, then production cost is reduced, but BET specific surface area cannot be appropriately controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the addition process into two separate stages: first adding an aqueous solution containing nickel and cobalt salts, then separately adding an aqueous solution containing aluminum salt. This segmented approach allows independent control of metal ion concentration and aluminum concentration, enabling precise control of BET specific surface area while maintaining production efficiency and reducing costs.
2Reliability
If particle diameter of composite hydroxide varies, then production flexibility is improved, but reactivity with lithium becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the addition process by controlling the concentration ratios of metal salts to aluminum salt, the addition rate, and the pH value during addition. By adjusting these parameters, the patent achieves uniform BET specific surface area across different particle sizes, ensuring consistent reactivity with lithium regardless of particle diameter variations.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate addition of nickel and cobalt solutions is implemented, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the addition of nickel and cobalt into a single aqueous solution containing both metal salts, which is then added separately from the aluminum salt solution. This merging approach simplifies the addition system while maintaining precise composition control, avoiding the complexity of multiple separate addition lines for nickel and cobalt.
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
This approach reduces production costs by lowering reaction temperature and ammonium ion usage while enhancing battery characteristics by uniformizing reactivity, improving cycle performance and capacity.
Implementation Method 1
a first metal-containing aqueous solution containing A mol % of nickel (Ni) and B mol % of cobalt (Co); and the second metal-containing aqueous solution containing C mol % of nickel (Ni) and D mol % of cobalt (Co)
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of manufacturing a composite hydroxide that can appropriately control a BET specific surface area.The method of manufacturing a composite hydroxide containing at least nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), wherein a first metal-containing aqueous solution containing A mol % of nickel (Ni) and B mol % of cobalt (Co), a second metal-containing aqueous solution containing C mol % of nickel (Ni) and D mol % of cobalt (Co), wherein A>C, B<D, A+B=100, and C+D=100, an aqueous solution of an alkali metal, and an aqueous solution containing an ammonium-ion supplying material, are separately fed into a reaction vessel; and a solution in the reaction vessel is maintained to have a pH value based on a liquid temperature at 25° C. within a range of 10.0 or higher and 13.0 or lower and a concentration of ammonium ion within a range of 1.0 g/L, or more and 10.0 g/L or less.