Patents by Inventor Heino Sommer

Heino Sommer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11942634
    Abstract: A process for making a partially coated electrode active material may involve: (a) providing an electrode active material of the formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ti, Mo, W, and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, wherein at least 60 mole-% of the transition metal of TM is Ni, and wherein the electrode active material has a residual moisture content in the range of from 50 to 1,000 ppm; (b) treating the electrode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal halide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound; (c) treating the material obtained in (b) with moisture; and (d) repeating the sequence of (b) and (c) twice to 4 times, wherein, in the last sequence of (b) and (c), moisture is at least partially substituted by ozone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Jacob Haag, Maraike Ahlf, Heino Sommer
  • Publication number: 20240006580
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for making an electrode active material, where said process includes the following steps: (a) Providing a hydroxide TM(OH)2 or an oxyhydroxide of TM, where TM is one or more metals and contains Mn, optionally, Co, and from 85 to 95 mol % Ni, referring to the sum of Ni, Co and Mn; (b) Drying said hydroxide TM(OH)2 or oxyhydroxide of TM at a temperature in the range of from 400 to 600° C., thereby obtaining an oxide or oxyhydroxide of TM with a residual moisture content of from 200 to 500 ppm; (c) Mixing said oxide or oxyhydroxide from step (b) with a source of lithium, at least one compound of Mg or Al, and at least one compound of Ti or Zr; and (d) Treating the mixture obtained from step (c) thermally at a temperature in the range of 550 to 875° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Christoph ERK, Jacob HAAG, James A SIOSS, Daniela KOEHLER, Kathrin MICHEL, Lennart Karl Bernhard GARVE, Benjamin Johannes Herbert BERGNER
  • Publication number: 20240006601
    Abstract: Process for making a composite oxide according to the formula x·Li2Ni1-y1-y2Mny1M1y2O3·(1?x)·LiNi1-zM2zO2 wherein x is in the range of from 0.01 to 0.5, z is in the range of from zero to 0.5, M1 is selected from Ti, Zr, Sn, Ge, Ta, Nb, Sb, W, and Mo, and combinations of at least two of the foregoing, M2 is at least one of Co, Al, Mg, Fe, or Mn, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing, 0.1?y1?0.75, zero?y2?0.05, said process comprising the following steps: (a) providing a particulate hydroxide, oxide or oxyhydroxide of TM where TM has the general formula x·Ni1-y1-y2Mny1M1y·(1?x)Ni1-zM2z, or the respective species without M1 and/or M2, (b) adding a source of lithium, (c) treating the mixture obtained from step (b) thermally under an atmosphere comprising oxygen in two steps: (c) heating the mixture obtained from step (b) to 680 to 800° C. in an atmosphere containing in the range of from 10 to 100 vol-% oxygen, and, (e) heating the intermediate from step (c) to 450 to 580° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Tobias Maximilian Teufl, Jordan K Lampert, Heino Sommer, William C. Chueh, William E. Gent
  • Publication number: 20230378428
    Abstract: Described herein is a process for the manufacture of a fluoride doped cathode active material, where said process includes the steps of (a) providing a particulate oxide or (oxy)hydroxide of transition metals (TM), where TM includes nickel and at least one metal selected from cobalt and manganese, and where said particulate oxide or (oxy)hydroxide has an average particle diameter (D50) in a range of from 3 to 16 ?m, (b) providing a source of lithium that includes 0.01 to 2.5% by weight of fluoride uniformly dispersed within said source of lithium, (c) mixing said oxide or (oxy)hydroxide of TM with said fluoride-including source of lithium and, optionally, with an additional source of lithium including less fluoride, and, optionally, with one or more dopants based on at least one metal other than lithium, and (d) treating the mixture obtained from step (c) thermally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Heino SOMMER, Kathrin MICHEL, Frank RAUSCHER, Nils-Olof Joachim BORN, Wolfgang ROHDE, Carsten SUELING, Birgit GERKE
  • Publication number: 20230361294
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a process for making an electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) Providing a hydroxide TM(OH)2 or at least one oxide TMO or at least one oxyhydroxide of TM or a combination of at least two of the foregoing wherein TM is one or more metals and contains at least 97 mol-% Ni and, optionally, in total up to 3 mol-% of at least one metal selected from Al, Ti, Zr, V, Co, Zn, Ba, and Mn; (b) mixing said hydroxide TM(OH)2 or oxide TMO or oxyhydroxide of TM or combination with a source of lithium and a source of Mg wherein the molar amount of (Li+Mg) corresponds to 75 to 95 mol-% of TM; (c) treating the mixture obtained from step (b) thermally at a temperature in the range of from 450 to 650° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Heino Sommer, Felix Florian Riewald, Philipp Kurzhals
  • Publication number: 20230249982
    Abstract: Particulate materials of the composition Li1+xTM1?xO2 wherein x is in the range of from ?0.02 to +0.05, TM comprises at least 94 mol-% nickel and up to 6 mol-% of at least three metals M1 selected from Co, Mn, Cu, Mg, Fe, B, Al, Ce, Sn, Zr, Zn, Nb, Ta, Y, Mo and W, wherein said metals M1 are enriched at the outer surface of the secondary particles of said particulate material, and wherein said particulate material has an average particle diameter (D50) in the range of from 2 to 20 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Felix Florian RIEWALD
  • Publication number: 20230143043
    Abstract: Process for making a mixed oxide according to the formula Li1+xTM1?xO2 wherein x is in the range of from 0.1 to 0.2 and TM is a combination of elements according to general formula (I) (NiaCobMnc)1-dM1d (I) wherein a is in the range of from 0.30 to 0.38, b being in the range of from zero to 0.05, c being in the range of from 0.60 to 0.70, and d being in the range of from zero to 0.05, M1 is selected from Al, Ti, Zr, W, Mo, Nb, Ta, Mg and combinations of at least two of the forego-ing, a+b+c=1, said process comprising the following steps: (a) providing a particulate hydroxide, oxide or oxyhydroxide of manganese, nickel, and, optionally, at least one of Co and M1, (b) adding a source of lithium, (c) calcining the mixture obtained from step (b) thermally under an atmosphere comprising 0.05 to 5 vol.-% of oxygen at a maximum temperature the range of from 650 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Tobias Maximilian TEUFL, Jorden K. LAMPERT, Heino SOMMER, Kipil LIM, Peter M. CSERNICA, William E. GENT, William C. CHUEH, Grace BUSSE
  • Patent number: 11515525
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a process for coating anoxide material, said process comprising the following steps: (a) providing a particulate material selected from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, lithiated cobalt-manganese oxides and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides, (b) treating said cathode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound, (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with moisture, and, optionally, repeating the sequence of steps (b) and (c), wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out in a mixer that mechanically introduces mixing energy into the particulate material, or by way of a moving bed or fixed bed, and wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out at a pressure that is in the range of from 5 mbar to 1 bar above normal pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Frank Kleine Jaeger, Tillmann Liebsch, Michael Schoenherr, Dominik Garella, Fatih Cetinel, Heino Sommer, Maraike Ahlf, Daniel Loeffler, Regina Vogelsang, Jacob Haag
  • Publication number: 20220246900
    Abstract: Process for making an at least partially coated electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) Providing an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni and Co or Ni and Al and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Ga, Nb, Ta, Mg, Mo, B, Sn, V, W, Ti and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, (b) treating said electrode active material with at least one carbonyl compound of Co, and (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with an oxidant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Christoph ERK, Thomas SCHAUBA
  • Publication number: 20220216456
    Abstract: Process for making an electrode active material, said process comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a composite oxide, (oxy)hydroxide, hydroxide or carbonate of nickel and at least one of cobalt and manganese and, optionally, at least one of Mg, Al and Y or a transition metal selected from Ti, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Mo, and W, with at least one source of lithium selected from lithium carbonate, lithium oxide and lithium hydroxide and, optionally, with at least one dopant selected from oxides, hydroxides and oxyhydroxides of Mg, Al, Y, Ti, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Mo, and W, and from fluorides, (b) optionally, transferring said mixture into saggars, crucibles or open cups, (c) calcining said mixture in a pusher kiln or roller hearth kiln or rotary kiln at a temperature in the range of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Carsten SUELING
  • Publication number: 20220212950
    Abstract: Particulate material of the composition Li1+xTM1?xO2 wherein x is in the range of from ?0.02 to +0.05, TM comprises at least 93 mol-% nickel and (A) at least one element M1 wherein M1 is selected from Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr, W and Mo, (B) at least one element M2 wherein M2 is selected from B, Al, Mg and Ga, wherein said particulate material has an average particle diameter (D50) in the range of from 2 to 20 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Benjamin Johannes Herbert BERGNER, Heino SOMMER, Pascal HARTMANN, Tobias Maximilian TEUFL
  • Publication number: 20210399291
    Abstract: Process for making a coated oxide material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) providing a particulate material selected from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, lithium cobalt oxide, lithiated cobalt-manganese oxides and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides, (b) treating said particulate material with an aqueous medium, (c) removing said aqueous medium, (d) drying said treated particulate material, (e) treating said particulate material from step (d) with a metal amide or alkyl metal compound, (f) treating the material obtained in step (e) with moisture or an oxidizing agent, and, optionally, repeating the sequence of steps (e) and (f).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Maraike AHLF, Torsten MAEURER, Christoph ERK, Jacob HAAG, Heino SOMMER
  • Publication number: 20210347655
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for making a coated oxide material comprising: (a) providing a particulate material chosen from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides wherein a nickel content ranges from 10 mole-% to 95 mole-% nickel, by total metal content in the particulate material, (b) optionally, treating the particulate material with an aqueous medium, followed by removing the aqueous medium, (c) treating the particulate material from step (a) or (b) with a metal amide or alkyl metal compound dissolved or slurried in an organic solvent, and (d) removing the organic solvent employed in step (c).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Pascal Hartmann, Heino Sommer, Hannes Wolf, Florian Strauss, Sven Neudeck, Torsten Brezesinski
  • Publication number: 20210214844
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for coating an oxide material, process comprising: (a) providing a particulate material chosen from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, lithiated cobalt-manganese oxides, and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides, (b) treating the cathode active material with a metal alkoxide, a metal halide, a metal chloride, a metal amide, or an alkyl metal compound, (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with a gas containing HF, and, optionally, repeating the sequence of steps (b) and (c), wherein step (b) is carried out in a mechanical mixer, or step (b) is carried out using a moving bed or fixed bed wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out at a pressure that is in the range of from 5 mbar to 1 bar above ambient pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Maraike AHLF, Heino SOMMER, Regina VOGELSANG, Jacob HAAG, Markus GRONER, Christopher GUMP, Robert HALL, Joseph SPENCER, II
  • Publication number: 20210218008
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a process for coating an oxide material comprising: (a) providing a particulate material chosen from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, lithiated cobalt-manganese oxides, and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides, (b) treating the cathode active material with a metal alkoxide, metal amide, alkyl metal compound, metal halide, or metal hydride at a pressure ranging from 5 mbar to 1 bar above ambient pressure, (c) deactivating the material obtained in step (b) with a HF containing gas at ambient pressure, ?wherein step (b) is carried out in a mechanical mixer chosen from compulsory mixers and free-fall mixers, or step (b) is carried out using a moving bed or a fixed bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Maraike AHLF, Heino SOMMER, Carsten SUELING, Markus Daniel GRONER, Christopher GUMP, Robert HALL, Joseph SPENCER, II
  • Publication number: 20210098782
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell has a cathode active material selected from mixed lithium transition metal oxides containing Mn and at least one second transition metal; lithium intercalating mixed oxides containing Ni, Al and at least one second transition metal; and lithium metal phosphates, wherein the outer surface of the particulate cathode active material is at least partially coated with an oxide selected from transition metal oxides, lanthanide oxides, and oxides of metals and half metals of groups 2, 13, and 14 of the periodic system; and an electrolyte composition containing at least one silyl ester phosphonate of formula (I) and at least one silyl ester phosphonate of formula (II)
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Manuel Alejandro MENDEZ AGUDELO, Maraike AHLF, Heino SOMMER, Jacob HAAG, Hannes WOLF, Johannes David HOECKER
  • Publication number: 20210083285
    Abstract: Process for making a partially coated electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) Providing an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+x, TM1+XO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ti and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, wherein at least 60 mole-% of the transition metal of TM is Ni, and wherein said electrode active material has a residual moisture content in the range of from 50 to 1,000 ppm, (b) treating said electrode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal halide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound, (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with moisture, (d) repeating the sequence of steps (b) and (c) twice to ten times, (e) performing a post-treatment by heating the material obtained after the last step (d) at a temperature from 200 to 400° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Maraike AHLF, Jacob HAAG, Regina VOGELSANG, Fatih CETINEL
  • Publication number: 20210083284
    Abstract: A process for making a partially coated electrode active material may involve: (a) providing an electrode active material of the formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni, Co and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ti, Mo, W, and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, wherein at least 60 mole-% of the transition metal of TM is Ni, and wherein the electrode active material has a residual moisture content in the range of from 50 to 1,000 ppm; (b) treating the electrode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal halide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound; (c) treating the material obtained in (b) with moisture; and (d) repeating the sequence of (b) and (c) twice to 4 times, wherein, in the last sequence of (b) and (c), moisture is at least partially substituted by ozone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Jacob HAAG, Maraike AHLF, Heino SOMMER
  • Publication number: 20190393494
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a process for coating anoxide material, said process comprising the following steps: (a) providing a particulate material selected from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, lithiated cobalt-manganese oxides and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides, (b) treating said cathode active material with a metal alkoxide or metal amide or alkyl metal compound, (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with moisture, and, optionally, repeating the sequence of steps (b) and (c), wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out in a mixer that mechanically introduces mixing energy into the particulate material, or by way of a moving bed or fixed bed, and wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out at a pressure that is in the range of from 5 mbar to 1 bar above normal pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Frank KLEINE JAEGER, Tillmann LIEBSCH, Michael SCHOENHERR, Dominik GARELLA, Fatih CETINEL, Heino SOMMER, Maraike AHLF, Daniel LOEFFLER, Regina VOGELSANG, Jacob HAAG
  • Patent number: 9577267
    Abstract: Electrode structures and methods for making the same are generally described. In certain embodiments, the electrode structures can include a plurality of particles, wherein the particles comprise indentations relative to their convex hulls. As the particles are moved proximate to or in contact with one another, the indentations of the particles can define pores between the particles. In addition, when particles comprising indentations relative to their convex hulls are moved relative to each other, the presence of the indentations can ensure that complete contact does not result between the particles (i.e., that there remains some space between the particles) and that void volume is maintained within the bulk of the assembly. Accordingly, electrodes comprising particles with indentations relative to their convex hulls can be configured to withstand the application of a force to the electrode while substantially maintaining electrode void volume (and, therefore, performance).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: Sion Power Corporation, BASF SE
    Inventors: Chariclea Scordilis-Kelley, Ruediger Schmidt, Holger Schneider, Tracy Earl Kelley, Savannah V. Burnside-Joubert, Klaus Leitner, Heino Sommer, Jan Tomforde, Alexander Panchenko