What is claimed is:
1. A production method for producing transition metal composite hydroxide particles by a crystallization reaction to be a precursor for a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte rechargeable battery, comprising:
a nucleation process for performing nucleation by controlling an aqueous solution for nucleation that includes a metal compound that includes at least a transition metal and an ammonium ion donor so that the pH value at a standard liquid temperature of 25° C. becomes 12.0 to 14.0; and
a particle growth process for causing nuclei to grow by controlling an aqueous solution for particle growth that includes the nuclei that were obtained in the nucleation process so that the pH value is less than in the nucleation process and is 10.5 to 12.0;
the reaction atmosphere in the nucleation process and at the beginning of the particle growth process being a non-oxidizing atmosphere in which an oxygen concentration is 5% by volume or less; and
in the particle growth process, atmosphere control by which the reaction atmosphere is switched from the non-oxidizing atmosphere to an oxidizing atmosphere in which the oxygen concentration is greater than 5% by volume at timing from the start of the particle growth process within a range of 5% to 35% of the overall particle growth process time, and is then switched from the oxidizing atmosphere to a non-oxidizing atmosphere in which the oxygen concentration is 5% by volume or less so that the crystallization time in the oxidizing atmosphere in the particle growth process is 3% to 20% of the overall particle growth process time being performed at least one time.
nucleation process
pH
12.0 to 14.0
particle growth process
pH
less than in the nucleation process and is 10.5 to 12.0