Metal-Containing Trimanganese Tetraoxide Particles for Battery Cathodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing lithium manganese oxide cathode materials for lithium secondary batteries face issues with non-uniform mixing, resulting in inconsistent battery performance, and require complex processes or harsh conditions, making large-scale industrial production challenging.
Innovation Solution
The use of metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles, produced through a crystallization process that suppresses manganese hydroxide crystal growth from a manganese salt aqueous solution, allowing for uniform metal substitution and improved particle size distribution, which enhances battery performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If materials are mixed by conventional mixing methods, then the mixing process is simple, but the materials are hardly uniformly mixed resulting in non-uniform battery performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles with uniform metal distribution before mixing with lithium compound. This preliminary uniform distribution eliminates the need for extensive mixing operations, as the uniformity is already established in the combined particles themselves, thereby achieving uniform mixing without complex production processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by creating metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles that contain multiple elements (manganese, metal element, and lithium compound) in a unified particle structure. This composite approach ensures uniform distribution of all components within each particle, which then mixes uniformly with other particles, achieving homogeneous cathode material without complex mixing
2Manufacturing precision
If manganese hydroxide is allowed to crystallize freely, then the crystallization process is simple, but large crystal growth occurs making uniform metal substitution difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the crystallization process to suppress manganese hydroxide crystal growth. Specific parameters such as pH, temperature, and addition rate are optimized to prevent excessive crystal growth, thereby achieving fine, uniform particles that allow homogeneous metal substitution while maintaining a relatively simple crystallization process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by partially suppressing manganese hydroxide crystallization rather than completely preventing it. This controlled partial suppression allows some crystal formation for structural integrity while limiting growth size to maintain uniformity, achieving a balance between simplicity and precision
3Manufacturing precision
If high-temperature treatments and complexing agents are used, then metal substitution can be achieved, but the production process becomes complex and difficult to scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a process where metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles are pre-formed with uniform metal distribution, allowing the material to self-maintain its uniform composition during subsequent processing. This eliminates the need for complexing agents and high-temperature treatments to achieve uniformity, as the uniformity is inherently built into the particle structure, thereby simplifying the process for scalable production
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for complexing agents and high-temperature treatments from the production process. By pre-forming the metal-containing combined particles with uniform metal distribution, the patent removes these complex steps entirely, achieving metal substitution uniformity through a simplified process that is easily scalable to industrial production
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 results in a cathode material with uniform composition and improved handleability, achieving high battery performance and simplifying the production process by eliminating the need for high-temperature treatments and complexing agents, thus enabling consistent and efficient large-scale production.
Implementation Method 1
a crystallization process that suppresses manganese hydroxide crystal growth from a manganese salt aqueous solution
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles with which a metal-substituted lithium manganese oxide excellent as a cathode material for a lithium secondary battery can be obtained, and their production process. Metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles containing a metal element (excluding lithium and manganese). Such metal-containing trimanganese tetraoxide combined particles can be obtained by a production process comprising a crystallization step of crystalizing a metal-substituted trimanganese tetraoxide not by means of metal-substituted manganese hydroxide from a manganese salt aqueous solution containing manganese ions and metal ions other than manganese.