Method for manufacturing positive-electrode active material precursor and positive-electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Batteries (H01M)

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected March 31st, 2026

Summary

USPTO granted patent US12592385B2 to Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. for a method of manufacturing positive-electrode active material precursors for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. The patent covers nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate compounds with controlled pH nucleation and growth processes. Six claims were allowed.

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What changed

USPTO issued Patent No. US12592385B2 to Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. on March 31, 2026. The patent protects a method for manufacturing positive-electrode active material precursors containing nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate compounds for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. Key process parameters include controlling pH at ≥8.0 during nucleation and between 6.0-7.5 during nucleus growth, with nucleation comprising 1/20 to 3/10 of the combined process time. Inventors are Satoshi Matsumoto, Shuuzou Ozawa, and Kikoo Uekusa.

Patent grants establish intellectual property rights but do not impose compliance obligations on third parties. Companies in battery manufacturing, electric vehicle supply chains, or energy storage should review the patent claims to assess potential licensing needs or design-around considerations. The assignee now holds exclusive rights to practice the claimed manufacturing method in the United States for the patent term.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Method for manufacturing positive-electrode active material precursor and positive-electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery

Grant US12592385B2 Kind: B2 Mar 31, 2026

Assignee

SUMITOMO METAL MINING CO., LTD.

Inventors

Satoshi Matsumoto, Shuuzou Ozawa, Kikoo Uekusa

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a positive-electrode active material precursor for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing a nickel-cobalt-manganese carbonate compound includes: an initial aqueous solution preparation process of preparing an initial aqueous solution; a nucleation process of forming nuclei; and a nucleus growth process of growing the nuclei. In the nucleation process, a pH value of the mixed aqueous solution is controlled to be greater than or equal to 8.0 at the reference reaction temperature of 25° C. In the nucleus growth process, the pH value of the mixed aqueous solution is controlled to be greater than or equal to 6.0 and less than or equal to 7.5 at the reference reaction temperature of 25° C. The nucleation process takes a time greater than or equal to 1/20 and less than or equal to 3/10 of a combined time of the nucleation process and the nucleus growth process.

CPC Classifications

H01M 4/525 H01M 4/505 C01G 53/82 C01G 53/06 C01G 53/50 C01P 2002/54 C01P 2002/03 C01P 2002/34 C01P 2002/61 C01P 2006/40 C01P 2004/03 C01P 2004/34 C01P 2004/61 C01P 2004/025 C01P 2004/028