Patent ID: 8062792

Claim:
A method comprising: precipitating spherical particles comprising one or more metal carbonates or one or more metal phosphates from a combined aqueous solution comprising a precipitating agent, wherein: the precipitating agent is selected from ammonium hydrogen carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, or a mixture comprising sodium hydrogen carbonate when the spherical particles are the one or more metal carbonates and the metal carbonates are selected from the group consisting of (Ni α Co β Mn γ Me′ δ )CO 3 , wherein Me′ is selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ag, Cu, Zn, or Mg; 0<α≦1, 0<β≦1, 0<γ≦1, and 0≦δ≦1; and the sum of α, β, γ, and δ is 1; or the precipitating agent is ammonium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium phosphate, sodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, or a mixture comprising any two or more thereof when the spherical particles are the one or more metal phosphates wherein the metal phosphates are selected from the group consisting of (Ni α′ Co β′ Mn γ′ Fe δ )(PO 4 ); wherein 0≦α′≦1, 0≦β′≦1, 0≦γ′≦1, and 0≦δ≦1; and where the sum of α′, β′, γ′, and δ is 1.