Negative material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery and nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the negative material

Abstract

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising an anode (3), a cathode (2) and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The anode includes composite particles having a carbon material included in a metallic material. As the metallic material, a metal capable of electrochemically reacting with lithium in a nonaqueous electrolyte is included.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising:
 an anode;   a cathode; and   a nonaqueous electrolyte,   wherein,
 the anode comprises a negative electrode active material including composite particles having a metallic material containing a carbon material, the metallic material including a metal capable of electrochemically reacting with lithium, and 
 the carbon material is stuck in a surface of the composite particles. 
   
     
     
         2 . A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite particles are atomized powder. 
     
     
         3 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material is selected from the group consisting of non-graphitizable carbon, graphitizable carbon, graphite, carbon black, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material has a spherical form, a granular form, a scale form, or a combination of them. 
     
     
         5 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material is at least partially embedded within the composite particles. 
     
     
         6 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material has fiberous form. 
     
     
         7 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material is present in an amount of 0.3 wt % to 90 wt %, both inclusive, relative to the metallic material. 
     
     
         8 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the carbon material is present in an amount that is within the range of 1.0 wt % to 70 wt %, both inclusive, relative to the metallic material. 
     
     
         9 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein wherein the negative electrode active material comprises a second carbon material that is different in composition from the carbon material of the composite particles. 
     
     
         10 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a lithium composite oxide represented by a general formula Li x MO 2 , where M is one or more transition metals, and x is different depending on charging and discharging states of a battery and is within a range of from about 0.05≤x≤1.10, both inclusive. 
     
     
         11 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonaqueous electrolyte comprises ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate. 
     
     
         12 . The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to  claim 11 , wherein the nonaqueous electrolyte further comprises LiPF 6  and LiBF 4 . 
     
     
         13 . An anode active material comprising a composite particle including a mixture of:
 (a) a metallic material;   (b) a carbon material; and   (c) at least one metallic carbide compound selected from the group consisting of SiC, WC, W 2 C, TiC, ZrC, HfC, VC, NbC, TaC, MoC, V2C, Ta 2 C, Mo 2 C, Mn 3 C, Fe 3 C, Co 3 C, and Ni 3 C,   wherein,
 the carbon material is different from each metallic carbide compound, 
 the metallic material is not a metallic carbide compound and includes a metal capable of electrochemically reacting with lithium, 
 the metallic material includes silicon, tin or both, and 
 the carbon material is at least partially embedded within the metallic material. 
   
     
     
         14 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the metallic material comprises a mixture of the metal capable of electrochemically reacting with lithium and a metal which does not electrochemically react with lithium. 
     
     
         15 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the carbon material is selected from the group consisting of non-graphitizable carbon, graphitizable carbon, graphite, carbon black, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the carbon material has a form selected from the group consisting of spherical forms, granular forms, scale forms, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the carbon material and the metallic carbide compound are at least partially embedded within the composite particles. 
     
     
         18 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the carbon material has a fiber form. 
     
     
         19 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the carbon material is present in an amount that is within the range of 0.3 wt % to 90 wt %, both inclusive, relative to the metallic material. 
     
     
         20 . The anode active material according to  claim 13 , wherein the carbon material of the second material is present in an amount that is within the range of 1 wt % to 70 wt %, both inclusive, relative to the metallic material. 
     
     
         21 . An anode active material comprising:
 (a) a carbon powder comprising a first carbon material; and   (b) composite particles   wherein,   the composite particles include a metal material and a second carbon material,   the metallic material is not a metallic carbide compound and includes a metal capable of electrochemically reacting with lithium,   the second carbon material comprises (i) non-graphitizable carbon, graphitizable carbon, graphite, carbon black, or mixtures of them, and (ii) at least one metallic carbide compound selected from the group consisting of SiC, WC, W 2 C, TiC, ZrC, HfC, VC, NbC, TaC, MoC, V 2 C, Ta 2 C, Mo 2 C, Mn 3 C, Fe 3 C, Co 3 C, and Ni 3 C,   for each composite particle, the second carbon material is embedded in the metallic material such that at least a portion of the second carbon material is exposed from the composite particle and another portion of the second carbon material is buried in the composite particle,   the non-graphitizable carbon, graphitizable carbon, graphite, carbon black, or a mixture of them of the second carbon material is present in an amount of 0.3 wt % to 90 wt %, both in inclusive, of the metallic material,   the metallic carbide compound is present in an amount of 1.0 wt % to 85 wt %, both inclusive, of the metallic material, and   the carbon powder is present in an amount of 1.0 wt % to 90 wt %, both inclusive, of the composite particles.   
     
     
         22 . The anode active material of  claim 21 , wherein the first carbon material consists of non-graphitizable carbon, graphitizable carbon, graphite, carbon black, or a mixture of them. 
     
     
         23 . The anode active material of  claim 21 , wherein the non-graphitizable carbon, graphitizable carbon, graphite, carbon black, or a mixture of them have a fibrous form, a spherical form, granular form, scale form, or mixtures thereof.