Preparation of nickel oxyhydroxide

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Nickel oxyhydroxide is prepared by combining a nickel hydroxide and a hydroxide salt in an inert atmosphere to form a mixture.
The mixture can be a dry mixture.
The mixture is exposed to ozone to form a nickel oxyhydroxide.
The ozone can be mixed with dioxygen to form a treatment gas.
The ozone can include sufficient water vapor to initiate the oxidation process.
Excessive amounts of water vapor in the treatment gas can cause the powder in the mixture to agglomerate.
The mixture can be exposed to ozone, for example, for less than twenty-four hours, less than twelve hours, less than six hours or less than four hours, to produce a nickel oxyhydroxide that contains little or no un-oxidized nickel hydroxide.
For example, a mixture of nickel hydroxide and hydroxide salt can be oxidized via ozonation at a temperature between 5 and 100.
degree.
C.
, for example, between 10 and 60.
degree.
C.
or between 15 and 30.
degree.
C.
to provide a nickel oxyhydroxide.
The temperature of the mixture can be maintained within a 10.
degree.
C.
range during the ozonation process.
The mixture of nickel hydroxide and hydroxide salt can be formed by manual or mechanical grinding of a hydroxide salt into a fine powder, followed by manual or mechanical mixing of the nickel hydroxide with the ground hydroxide salt, and loading of the resulting mixed powders into a reaction vessel.
The nickel hydroxide, the hydroxide salt, and mixtures thereof, are handled, ground, and mixed in an inert atmosphere.
The hydroxide salt can include alkali metal hydroxides such as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide or mixtures thereof.
The hydroxide salt can include silver hydroxide or gold hydroxide.
The hydroxide salt can be in the form of a free-flowing powder, solid pellets, coarse crystallites, or agglomerates of crystallites.
The inert atmosphere is free of carbon dioxide and, optionally, water.
For example, the inert atmosphere can be a dry, substantially air-free atmosphere.
The dry, substantially air-free atmosphere can be provided inside a glove box purged with an inert gas stream and protected from infiltration of air