Patents by Inventor Tetsufumi Komukai

Tetsufumi Komukai 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: 11811052
    Abstract: The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a lithium metal composite oxide powder represented by a general formula: LizNi1?x?yCoxMyO2+?, wherein 0<x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, 0.95?z?1.30, ?0.15???0.15, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti and Al; and a coating layer placed on particle surfaces of the lithium metal composite oxide powder; wherein the coating layer is a mixed-phase of a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jiro Okada, Tetsufumi Komukai, Jun Yokoyama, Takahiro Ogawa, Tomoko Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11777090
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a LiNi composite oxide having low internal resistance and excellent thermal stability. The positive electrode active material is obtained by performing a water washing process using a water spray on a LiNi composite oxide powder obtained by a firing step until the filtrate has an electric conductivity of 30 to 60 mS/cm, and then dried, where the LiNi composite oxide is represented by the composition formula (1): LibNi1-aM1aO2, where M1 represents at least one kind of element selected from transition metal elements other than Ni, group 2 elements, and group 13 elements, and 0.01?a?0.5, and 0.85?b?1.05.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Nakayama, Jun Yokoyama, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Publication number: 20220352515
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a LiNi composite oxide having low internal resistance and excellent thermal stability. The positive electrode active material is obtained by performing a water washing process using a water spray on a LiNi composite oxide powder obtained by a firing step until the filtrate has an electric conductivity of 30 to 60 mS/cm, and then dried, where the LiNi composite oxide is represented by the composition formula (1): LibNi1-aM1aO2, where M1 represents at least one kind of element selected from transition metal elements other than Ni, group 2 elements, and group 13 elements, and 0.01?a?0.5, and 0.85?b?1.05.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Nakayama, Jun Yokoyama, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11424448
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a LiNi composite oxide having low internal resistance and excellent thermal stability. The positive electrode active material is obtained by performing a water washing process using a water spray on a LiNi composite oxide powder obtained by a firing step until the filtrate has an electric conductivity of 30 to 60 mS/cm, and then dried, where the LiNi composite oxide is represented by the composition formula (1): LibNi1?aM1aO2, where M1 represents at least one kind of element selected from transition metal elements other than Ni, group 2 elements, and group 13 elements, and 0.01?a?0.5, and 0.85?b?1.05.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoko Nakayama, Jun Yokoyama, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11411214
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries and production method thereof that are able to improve the stability of positive electrode mixture material pastes used to produce nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, as well as to improve the output characteristics and charge/discharge cycle characteristics of secondary batteries. A method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries includes mixing a fired powder formed of a lithium-metal composite oxide having a layered crystal structure, a first compound which is at least one selected from a group consisting of a lithium-free oxide, a hydrate of the oxide, and a lithium-free inorganic acid salt, and water and drying a mixture resulting from the mixing. The fired powder includes secondary particles formed by agglomeration of primary particles. The first compound reacts with lithium ions in the presence of water to form a second compound including lithium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taira Aida, Jiro Okada, Tetsufumi Komukai, Koji Yamaji, Ryozo Ushio
  • Patent number: 11411210
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a lithium metal composite oxide, wherein the lithium metal composite oxide is represented by a general formula: LiaNi1-x-y-zCoxDyEzO2 (wherein, in the formula, 0.05?x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, 0.002?z?0.05, 1.00?a?1.30, an element D is at least one type of element selected from Mn, V, Mo, Nb, Ti, and W, and an element E is an element forming an alloy with lithium at a potential more noble than a potential in which ions of the element E are reduced), wherein the lithium metal composite oxide includes primary and secondary particles formed by aggregating the primary particles, wherein an oxide containing the element E exists at a surface of at least either of the primary and secondary particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Toma, Atsushi Fukui, Taira Aida, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11404690
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a lithium transition metal-containing composite oxide, comprising secondary particles formed by aggregates of primary particles. The secondary particles comprise: an outer-shell section formed by an aggregate of the primary particles; at least one aggregate section formed by an aggregate of primary particles and existing on an inside of the outer-shell section, and electrically and structurally connected to the outer-shell section; and at least one space section existing on the inside of the outer-shell section and in which there are no primary particles. The average particle size of the secondary particles being within the range 1 ?m to 15 ?m, an index [(d90-d10)/average particle size] that indicates a spread of a particle size distribution of the secondary particles being 0.7 or less, and the surface area per unit volume being 1.7 m2/cm3 or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Toma, Taira Aida, Tetsufumi Komukai, Yasutaka Kamata
  • Publication number: 20220158185
    Abstract: A nickel composite hydroxide includes nickel, cobalt, manganese, and an element M with an atomic ratio of Ni:Co:Mn:M=1?x1?y1?z1:x1:y1:z1 (wherein M is at least one element selected from a group consisting of a transition metal element other than Ni, Co, Mn, a II group element, and a XIII group element, 0.15?0.25, 0.15?y1?0.25, 0?z1?0.1), the nickel composite hydroxide having a cobalt or manganese rich layer from a surface of a particle of the secondary particles toward an inside of the secondary particles and a layered low-density layer between the cobalt or manganese rich layer and a center of the particle of the secondary particles, and a thickness of the cobalt or manganese rich layer and low-density layer is 1% or more and 10% or less to a diameter of the secondary particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru YAMAUCHI, Tai ITO, Tetsufumi KOMUKAI
  • Patent number: 11329274
    Abstract: A method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, includes: a mixing step of adding a W compound powder having a solubility A adjusted to 2.0 g/L or less to a Li-metal composite oxide powder and stirring in water washing of the composite oxide powder, the solubility A being determined by stirring the W compound in water having a pH of 12.5 at 25° C. for 20 minutes, the composite oxide powder being represented by the formula: LicNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 and composed of primary and secondary particles, followed by solid-liquid separation, to thereby obtain a tungsten-containing mixture with the tungsten compound dispersed in the composite oxide powder; and a heat-treating step of heat-treating the mixture to uniformly disperse W on the surface of primary particles and thereby form a compound containing W and Li from the W and Li in the mixture, on the surface of primary particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Inventors: Yuki Furuichi, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11196048
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material that has high output characteristics and battery capacity when used for a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery and can inhibit gelation of positive electrode mixture paste. A method for producing the positive electrode active material is also provided. A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery contains a lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide represented by General Formula (1): Lii+sNixCoyMnzBtM1uO2+? and having a hexagonal layered crystal structure. The lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide contains a secondary particle formed of a plurality of flocculated primary particles and a boron compound containing lithium present at least on part of surfaces of the primary particles. A water-soluble Li amount present on the surfaces of the primary particles is up to 0.1% by mass relative to the entire amount of the positive electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuru Yamauchi, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11171326
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the method including: a mixing step of obtaining a W-containing mixture of Li metal composite oxide particles represented by the formula: LizNi1-x-yCOxMyO2 and composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles, 2 mass % or more of water with respect to the oxide particles, and a W compound or a W compound and a Li compound, the W-containing mixture having a molar ratio of the total amount of Li contained in water and the solid W compound or the W compound and the Li compound of 3 to 5 with respect to the amount of W contained therein; and a heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture to form lithium tungstate on the surface of the primary particles of the Li metal composite oxide particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventors: Takashi Ozaki, Yuki Furuichi, Jun Yokoyama, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11108043
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, including: a water-washing step of mixing, with water, Li—Ni composite oxide particles represented by the formula: LizNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 and composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles to water-wash it, and performing solid-liquid separation to obtain a washed cake; a mixing step of mixing a W compound powder free from Li with the washed cake to obtain a W-containing mixture; and a heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture, the heat treatment step including: a first heat treatment step of heating the W-containing mixture to disperse W on the surface of the primary particles; and subsequently, a second heat treatment step of heating it at a higher temperature than in the first heat treatment step to form a lithium tungstate compound on the surface of the primary particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventors: Kentaro Kondo, Jun Yokoyama, Yuki Furuichi, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11069884
    Abstract: A method produces a positive electrode active material that does not impair the original battery characteristics of the positive electrode active material. The method can improves water resistance, and suppress the gelation of a positive electrode mixture material paste. The method for producing a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries can include a mixing step of preparing a mixture including fine carbon particles, an organic dispersant, a hydrophobic coat forming agent, an organic solvent, and positive electrode active material particles, a drying step of drying the mixture to obtain the mixture containing the organic solvent in a reduced amount, and a heat treatment step of heat-treating the mixture containing the organic solvent in the reduced amount to obtain a coated positive electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji Takanashi, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11063257
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries has a high charge/discharge capacity and produces high output, as well as has high filling ability. The positive electrode active material includes lithium-nickel composite oxide particles are formed by agglomeration of multiple primary particles, include pores, and have a layered crystal structure. The lithium-nickel composite oxide particles have an average particle size of 15 ?m or more and 30 ?m or less. The percentage of an area of the pores measured by a cross-sectional observation of the lithium-nickel composite oxide particles with respect to a cross-sectional area of the lithium-nickel composite oxide particles is 1.0% or more and 5.0% or less. A lithium-tungsten compound containing tungsten and lithium is present on the surface of and inside the secondary particles. The lithium-tungsten compound is present on at least part of the surface of the primary particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Yokoyama, Yuki Furuichi, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11056681
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing the positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, including a first step of mixing a Li-metal composite oxide powder which is represented by the general formula: LizNi1-x-yCoxMyO2 (where 0?x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, and 0.97?z?1.30 are satisfied, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti and Al) and constituted by primary particles and secondary particles, to an alkaline solution with a W compound dissolved therein, and immersing a resulting mixture, followed by solid-liquid separation, to obtain a W mixture with W uniformly dispersed on the surface of the primary particles of the composite oxide, and a second step of heat-treating the W mixture to thereby form a compound containing W and Li on the surface of the primary particles of the composite oxide powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventors: Yuki Furuichi, Tetsufumi Komukai, Hiroyuki Toya
  • Patent number: 11024839
    Abstract: A transition metal-containing composite hydroxide comprises secondary particles having: a center portion of fine primary particles; and an outer-shell portion having a high-density layer of plate-shaped primary particles formed outside the center portion, a low-density layer of the fine primary particles formed outside the high-density layer, and an outer-shell layer of the plate-shaped primary particles formed outside the low-density layer. The composite hydroxide is obtained by a method comprising a nucleation step in an oxidizing atmosphere and a particle growth step, the particle growth step comprising: a first stage of maintaining the oxidizing atmosphere; a second stage of switching to and maintaining a non-oxidizing atmosphere; a third stage of switching again to and maintaining the oxidizing atmosphere; and a fourth stage of switching again to and maintaining the non-oxidizing atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Toma, Hiroko Senba, Taira Aida, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 11018338
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries that is represented by the general formula (1): LiaNi1-x-yCoxMyWzO2+? (where 0?x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, 0.0008?z?0.030, 0.97?a?1.25, and 0???0.20, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti, and Al) and is constituted by a Li-metal composite oxide composed of primary particles and secondary particles formed by aggregation of the primary particles, wherein a compound including Li and W is formed on the surface of the primary particles of the composite oxide and the amount of W contained in the compound is such that the number of atoms of W is 0.08 to 0.30 at % with respect to the total number of atoms of Ni, Co, and M contained in the positive electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventors: Yuki Furuichi, Jun Suzuki, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Publication number: 20210119201
    Abstract: The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a lithium metal composite oxide powder represented by a general formula: LizNi1?x?yCoxMyO2+?, wherein 0<x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, 0.95?z?1.30, ?0.15???0.15, and M is at least one element selected from Mn, V, Mg, Mo, Nb, Ti and Al; and a coating layer placed on particle surfaces of the lithium metal composite oxide powder; wherein the coating layer is a mixed-phase of a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Jiro OKADA, Tetsufumi KOMUKAI, Jun YOKOYAMA, Takahiro OGAWA, Tomoko NAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210111404
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for efficiently producing a cathode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery excellent in battery performance such as initial discharge capacity. The cathode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery is produced from spherical particles made of a lithium nickel cobalt composite oxide represented by a general formula: LizNi1?x?yCoxMyO2 (wherein M is at least one element selected from among Mn, V, Mg, W, Mo, Nb, Ti, and Al and x, y, and z satisfy 0<x?0.35, 0?y?0.35, and 0.97?z?1.20, respectively) and having a volume average particle diameter MV in a range of preferably 8 to 30 ?m, wherein an area ratio of a lithium compound unevenly distributed on surfaces of the particles in a SEM image is 5% or less. The spherical particles preferably have a crystallite diameter in a range of 50 to 200 ? as determined from a full width at half maximum, FWHM of diffraction peak of (003) plane obtained by X ray diffraction by using Sherrer formula.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Kondo, Tetsufumi Komukai
  • Patent number: 10950855
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided, which can establish both high capacity and high output when used for a positive electrode material. A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises primary particles of a lithium-nickel composite oxide represented by the following general formula (1) and secondary particles composed by aggregation of the primary particles, wherein a 1-nm to 200-nm thick film containing W and Li is present on the surface of the primary particles, and a c-axis length in the LiNi composite oxide crystal ranges from 14.183 to 14.205 angstroms. General formula: LibNi1-x-yCoxMyO2??(1) (In the formula, M is at least one type of element selected from Mg, Al, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Nb, Zr and Mo, and 0.95?b?1.03, 0<x?0.15, 0<y?0.07, and x+y?0.16 are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsufumi Komukai, Yuki Furuichi