DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/14/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new grounds of rejection do not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Specifically, the new grounds of rejection do not rely on Xia.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 8-10, 12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park (WO-2020122511-A1; English-language equivalent US 2022/0029145 A1 is cited below).
Regarding claim 1, Park discloses a method of manufacturing a cathode active material, comprising: preparing lithium metal oxide particles ([0112]); and treating the lithium metal oxide particles with steam or a steam-containing gas without washing with liquid water ([0114]), wherein each of the lithium metal oxide particles contains 80 mol% or more of nickel based on a total number of moles of all elements except for lithium and oxygen (LiNi0.82Co0.12Mn0.06O2, [0112]), and wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas is performed at 100°C or higher (120 °C, [0114]).
Regarding claim 2, Park discloses wherein each of the lithium metal oxide particles includes a layered crystal structure (LiNi0.82Co0.12Mn0.06O2, [0112], equivalent to layered crystal structure LiMnO2, [0005]).
Regarding claim 3, Park discloses wherein the layered crystal structure changes into a cubic crystal structure only in a region having a thickness of less than 200 nm from a surface of the lithium metal oxide particles in the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas given that the process of Park is substantially similar to that of the instant claims.
Regarding claim 8, Park discloses wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises: increasing a material temperature of the lithium metal oxide particle (particles are placed in a chamber heated to 120 °C, [0114]); and spraying water on the lithium metal oxide particle with the increased material temperature (water vapor is injected into the reactor, [0114]).
Regarding claim 9, Park discloses wherein the lithium metal oxide particle with the increased material temperature has a material temperature of 100 to 500°C (120 °C, [0114]).
Regarding claim 10, Park discloses wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises: loading the lithium metal oxide particles into a reaction furnace having an internal temperature of 100°C or higher (120 °C, [0114]); and spraying water on the lithium metal oxide particles (water vapor is injected into the reactor, [0114]).
Regarding claim 12, Park discloses wherein the step of treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises supplying an oxidant ([0114]).
Regarding claim 14, Park discloses wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises supplying a coating source including metal, and non-metal (trimethyl aluminum, [0114]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-11, and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LV (CN-109671922-A; a machine translation is attached and referenced below) in view of Park (WO-2020122511-A1; English-language equivalent US 2022/0029145 A1 is cited below).
Regarding claim 1, LV discloses a method of manufacturing a cathode active material, comprising: preparing lithium metal oxide particles (lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide is placed into a fluidized bed reactor, [0043]); and treating the lithium metal oxide particles with steam or a steam-containing gas without washing with liquid water (a mixed gas with water vapor enters the reactor, [0043]), and wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas is performed at 100°C or higher (250 °C, [0043]).
LV does not disclose wherein each of the lithium metal oxide particles contains 80 mol% or more of nickel based on a total number of moles of all elements except for lithium and oxygen.
Park teaches a cathode active material comprising lithium metal oxide particles, wherein each of the lithium metal oxide particles contains 80 mol% or more of nickel based on a total number of moles of all elements except for lithium and oxygen ([0038]). A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to prepare the lithium metal oxide particles of Park, which contain 80 mol% or more of nickel based on a total number of moles of all elements except for lithium and oxygen, in the method of LV because Park teaches that such particles have a high capacity ([0038]).
Regarding claim 2, LV in view of Park teaches wherein each of the lithium metal oxide particles includes a layered crystal structure (Park: particles have the formula LixNi1-x-y-zCoxMnyM1zO2, equivalent to layered crystal structure LiMnO2, [0005],[0040]).
Regarding claim 3, LV in view of Park teaches wherein the layered crystal structure changes into a cubic crystal structure only in a region having a thickness of less than 200 nm from a surface of the lithium metal oxide particles in the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas given that the process of LV in view of Park is substantially similar to that in the instant claims.
Regarding claim 6, LV in view of Park teaches wherein the steam-containing gas includes nitrogen gas (LV: [0043]).
Regarding claim 8, LV in view of Park teaches (see LV) wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises: increasing a material temperature of the lithium metal oxide particle (particles are placed in a reactor heated to 250 °C, [0043]); and spraying water on the lithium metal oxide particle with the increased material temperature (water vapor enters the reactor, [0043]).
Regarding claim 9, LV in view of Park teaches wherein the lithium metal oxide particle with the increased material temperature has a material temperature of 100 to 500°C (LV: 250 °C, [0043]).
Regarding claim 10, LV in view of Park teaches (see LV) wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises: loading the lithium metal oxide particles into a reaction furnace having an internal temperature of 100°C or higher (250 °C, [0043]); and spraying water on the lithium metal oxide particles (water vapor enters the reactor, [0043]).
Regarding claim 11, LV in view of Park teaches wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas is performed while stirring the lithium metal oxide particles (LV: treatment occurs in a fluidized bed reactor, [0043], and therefore particles are mixed throughout the treatment).
Regarding claim 14, LV in view of Park teaches wherein the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises supplying a coating source including metal, metalloid or non-metal (LV: tantalum ethoxide, [0043], includes metal and non-metal; coating may alternatively include boron, [0019], a metalloid).
Regarding claim 15, LV in view of Park does not teach wherein the coating source includes at least one of sodium aluminate (NaAlO2), zirconium nitrate (Zr(NO3)4), sodium peroxide disulfate (Na2S2O8) and boric acid (H3BO3).
However, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have tried using boric acid (H3BO3) as the coating source in the method of LV in view of Park because LV teaches that the coating source may form a boron lithium composite oxide ([0019]) and Park teaches that boric acid may be used as a precursor ([0051]) to form a lithium boron oxide ([0055]).
Regarding claim 16, LV in view of Park does not teach wherein the method further comprises coating at least a portion of the surface of the lithium metal oxide particles with metal, metalloid or non-metal after the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas.
However, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the method of LV in view of Park such that the method further comprises coating at least a portion of the surface of the lithium metal oxide particles with metal after the treating with steam or a steam-containing gas because LV teaches that the steam-containing gas may be used to apply a coating of boron lithium composite oxide ([0019]) and Park teaches that a metal oxide coating layer may be formed on top of a boron coating layer in order to improve the durability of cathode active material ([0030]).
Claims 5, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LV (CN-109671922-A; a machine translation is attached and referenced below) in view of Park (US 2022/0029145 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yushin (US 2021/0313617 A1; previously cited).
Regarding claim 5, LV in view of Park does not teach wherein the steam or the steam-containing gas contains a hydroxyl radical.
Yushin teaches a method of manufacturing an active material, comprising preparing lithium metal oxide particles; and treating the lithium metal oxide particles with a steam-containing gas containing a hydroxyl radical ([0090]). A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the method of LV in view of Park to add a step of treating the lithium metal oxide particles with a gas containing steam and a hydroxyl radical because Yushin teaches that doing so improves the distribution of the active material in an active material slurry ([0090]).
Regarding claim 12, LV in view of Park does not teach wherein the step of treating with steam or a steam-containing gas comprises supplying an oxidant.
Yushin teaches a method of manufacturing an active material, comprising preparing lithium metal oxide particles; and treating the lithium metal oxide particles with a steam-containing gas containing an oxidant ([0090]). A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to have modified the method of LV in view of Park to add a step of treating the lithium metal oxide particles with a gas containing steam and a hydroxyl radical because Yushin teaches that doing so improves the distribution of the active material in an active material slurry ([0090]).
Regarding claim 13, LV in view of Park and Yushin teaches wherein the oxidant includes hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (Yushin: [0090]).
Conclusion
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/C.C.D./Examiner, Art Unit 1723 /TIFFANY LEGETTE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723