A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of coating titanium anode material processing equipment, especially a kind of sixteen channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment.The system includes split type feed cabinet and automated sintering cabinet, split type feed cabinet is formed with process connecting channel, automated sintering cabinet is formed with sintering workbench communicated with process connecting channel, and sintering workbench is provided with sixteen channel high-temperature sintering module;Sintering workbench is fixedly connected with sixteen forced air fans;The top of automated sintering cabinet is provided with main three-axis motion module, for transferring the material to be sintered into sixteen channel high-temperature sintering module to carry out automated sintering.The present application can realize sixteen channel automated high-temperature sintering preparation coating titanium anode material, can satisfy the demand of high-throughput experiment and automated assembly line docking, improves the screening efficiency and research and development process of new electrode material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of equipment for processing coated titanium anode materials, and in particular to a sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment. Background Technology

[0002] Coated titanium anodes are indispensable core components in modern electrochemical industries (such as chlor-alkali chemical industry, water treatment, hydrometallurgy, and new energy). The development of coated titanium anode materials relies heavily on extensive sample preparation and parameter screening. Existing heat treatment equipment typically uses commercially available single-channel tube furnaces, which are inefficient and cannot support parallel experiments with multiple groups and variables, thus limiting the throughput and development progress of novel electrode materials. To address this, the inventors have provided a sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problems of cumbersome manual loading and unloading and low cooling efficiency in existing high-temperature sintering equipment, this invention provides a sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment.

[0004] The present invention provides a sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment, which is achieved through the following technical solution: A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment includes a split-type feeding cabinet and an automated sintering cabinet. The split-type feeding cabinet forms a process connection channel, and the automated sintering cabinet forms a sintering worktable connected to the process connection channel. The sintering worktable is equipped with a sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module. Sixteen powerful cooling fans are fixedly connected to the sintering worktable. A main three-axis motion module is set on the top of the automated sintering cabinet for transferring the material to be sintered to the sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module for automated sintering.

[0005] Preferably, the sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module includes sixteen high-temperature sintering modules; each high-temperature sintering module includes a heating furnace body, a titanium sheet sintering support, and a sample feeding component that controls the input or output of the titanium sheet sintering support to the heating furnace body.

[0006] Preferably, the sample feeding assembly includes a linear feed / discharge module and a T-shaped connector. The linear feed / discharge module is fixedly connected to the surface of the sintering workbench and located below the heating furnace body. One end of the T-shaped connector is fixedly connected to the push rod of the linear feed / discharge module, and the other end is fixedly connected to the titanium sheet sintering support. The central axis of the titanium sheet sintering support is collinear with the central axis of the single-zone heating temperature zone of the heating furnace body.

[0007] Preferably, the sintering workbench has sixteen ventilation holes; each ventilation hole is located directly below the titanium sheet sintering support; the sintering workbench has sixteen mounting holes for powerful cooling fans; each powerful cooling fan is detachably connected to its corresponding mounting hole; each powerful cooling fan is located between adjacent heating furnace bodies; and the powerful cooling fan generates airflow vertically upward.

[0008] Preferably, sixteen exhaust fans are connected to the top shell of the automated sintering cabinet, with each exhaust fan located above a single high-power cooling fan.

[0009] Preferably, an exhaust channel is fixedly connected to the center of the top shell of the automated sintering cabinet, through which heat inside the automated sintering cabinet can be output.

[0010] Preferably, the main three-axis motion module includes two X-axis linear modules, a Y-axis linear module slidably connected to the X-axis linear module slide, and a Z-axis linear module vertically slidably connected to the Y-axis linear module slide. The two X-axis linear modules are fixed parallel to each other on the top of the automated sintering cabinet frame. The ends of the Z-axis linear modules are coaxial and fixedly connected to pneumatic grippers.

[0011] Preferably, the automated sintering operation process of the sixteen-channel automated sintering system includes a feeding and loading stage, an automatic sintering stage, and an unloading and air-cooling stage. The specific process of the feeding and loading stage is as follows: Titanium sheets coated with precursor solution at the front end enter the process connection channel of the split-type feeding cabinet. The main three-axis motion module drives the pneumatic gripper to grab the incoming titanium sheet and place the titanium sheet coated with precursor solution at the front end into the designated titanium sheet sintering bracket. The specific process of the automatic sintering stage is as follows: The feeding and unloading linear module sends the titanium sheet sintering bracket loaded with titanium sheets into the single-zone heating channel of the heating furnace. The heating furnace executes a preset temperature control program. The specific process of the unloading and air-cooling stage is as follows: After sintering, the feeding and unloading linear module moves the titanium sheet sintering bracket out of the furnace chamber. The strong cooling fan and exhaust fan are started to force-cool the high-temperature titanium sheet that has completed sintering. Finally, the titanium sheet is unloaded: The main three-axis motion module drives the pneumatic gripper to grab the sintered titanium sheet and transfer it to the unloading slide.

[0012] In summary, the present invention has the following advantages: the present invention can realize the automated high-temperature sintering preparation of coated titanium anode materials in sixteen channels, each channel can achieve independent control of sintering process parameters, and has high cooling efficiency, which can meet the needs of high-throughput experiments and automated production line docking, and improve the screening efficiency and research and development process of new electrode materials. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the sixteen-channel automated sintering system in this invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main three-axis motion module in a sixteen-channel automated sintering system.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the high-temperature sintering module in a sixteen-channel automated sintering system.

[0016] In the diagram, 1. Automated sintering cabinet; 10. Split-type feeding cabinet; 100. Process connection channel; 11. Sintering workbench; 12. Vent hole; 13. Strong cooling fan mounting hole; 2. High-temperature sintering module; 21. Heating furnace body; 22. Titanium sheet sintering support; 23. Sample feeding assembly; 231. Feeding and discharging linear module; 232. T-shaped connector; 24. Strong cooling fan; 25. Exhaust fan; 3. Main three-axis motion module; 31. X-axis linear module; 32. Y-axis linear module; 33. Z-axis linear module; 34. Pneumatic gripper. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To further understand the inventiveness and technical advancements of this invention, the preferred embodiments of this invention will be discussed in detail below with reference to the examples and accompanying drawings.

[0018] Example: Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment includes a split-type feeding cabinet 10 and an automated sintering cabinet 1. The split-type feeding cabinet 10 forms a process connection channel 100, and transparent observation windows are installed on both sides of the process connection channel 100. The automated sintering cabinet 1 forms a sintering worktable 11. The automated sintering cabinet 1 is fixedly connected to the split-type feeding cabinet 10, so that the process connection channel 100 of the split-type feeding cabinet 10 is connected to the sintering worktable 11 of the automated sintering cabinet 1, facilitating the entry of the material to be sintered into the sintering worktable 11 of the automated sintering cabinet 1 through the process connection channel 100 for automated sintering processing.

[0019] The rated voltage of the above-mentioned sixteen-channel automated sintering system is AC380V (50HZ), the rated total power is 12.0KW, the required air pressure is 0.70MPa, the total floor area is length × width × height: 3500mm × 1500mm × 2000mm, and the external dimensions of the automated sintering cabinet 1 are 3000mm × 1200mm × 1800mm.

[0020] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3The sintering workbench 1 of the automated sintering cabinet 1 is fixedly connected to a sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module 2. The sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module 2 includes sixteen high-temperature sintering modules 2 that can perform sintering independently. Eight of the sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering modules 2 are fixedly connected to one side of the sintering workbench 11 along its length, and the other eight of the sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering modules 2 are fixedly connected to the other side of the sintering workbench 11 along its length. Each high-temperature sintering module realizes automated feeding, sintering, and sample output.

[0021] refer to Figure 3 Each high-temperature sintering module includes a heating furnace body 21, a titanium sheet sintering support 22, and a sample feeding component 23 that controls the input or output of the titanium sheet sintering support 22 to the heating furnace body 21.

[0022] The heating furnace body 21 can be used to perform both short-term and long-term treatments. The sintering process of the coated titanium anode material involves multiple sintering processes, such as short-term and long-term sintering. The difference between long-term and short-term sintering lies in the sintering time. The preparation process of the coated titanium anode material includes multiple spraying and sintering processes. Each time a layer of metal precursor solution is coated, short-term sintering is performed to form an oxide solid solution, ensuring a rough and porous surface structure. Finally, long-term sintering is performed to remove residual chlorine, solvents, and other residual substances, completely converting the precursor into oxide.

[0023] Each heating furnace body 21 is equipped with an independent 858 instrument temperature control system, employing PID regulation to adjust the temperature with a control accuracy of ±1℃. The internal lining of the heating furnace body 21 is made of vacuum-formed high-purity alumina lightweight material, the heating element is a molybdenum-doped iron-chromium-aluminum alloy, and the temperature sensing element is a stable K-type armored thermocouple. The single-zone heating temperature of the heating furnace body 21 is Φ50*150mm, the maximum operating temperature can reach 1100℃, the rated operating temperature is 1000℃, and the recommended heating rate is ≤10℃ / min. Each heating furnace body 21 can be individually controlled to start / stop or operate synchronously.

[0024] refer to Figure 3 The sample feeding assembly 23 includes a linear feed / discharge module 231 fixedly connected to the sintering worktable 11 and a T-shaped connector 232 fixedly connected to the push rod of the linear feed / discharge module 231. The maximum operating speed of the linear feed / discharge module 231 is 400 mm / s, the effective stroke is 200 mm, and the load capacity can reach 8 kg. The titanium sheet sintering support 22 is fixedly connected to one end of the T-shaped connector 232 facing away from the push rod of the linear feed / discharge module 231. The central axis of the titanium sheet sintering support 22 is collinear with the central axis of the single-zone heating temperature zone of the heating furnace body 21, thereby realizing the control of the linear feed / discharge module 231 to input or output the single-zone heating temperature zone of the heating furnace body 21, completing the automated sintering closed loop.

[0025] refer to Figure 1To improve cooling efficiency, the sintering worktable 11 has sixteen ventilation holes 12. Each ventilation hole 12 is located directly below the titanium sheet sintering support 22. The sintering worktable 11 also has sixteen high-power cooling fan mounting holes 13. Each high-power cooling fan 24 is detachably connected to its corresponding high-power cooling fan mounting hole 13. The sintering worktable 11 is fixedly connected to sixteen high-power cooling fans 24. Each high-power cooling fan 24 is located between adjacent heating furnace bodies 21. The airflow generated by the high-power cooling fan 24 is vertically upward.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The top shell of the automated sintering cabinet 1 is equipped with sixteen exhaust fans 25, each positioned directly above a forced-air cooling fan 24. An exhaust channel mounting port is pre-installed at the center of the top shell of the automated sintering cabinet 1, and an exhaust channel is fixedly connected to this port, allowing heat to be output from the interior of the automated sintering cabinet 1. In actual operation, after the sintering program ends, the feed / discharge linear module 231 smoothly drives the titanium sheet sintering support 22, which carries the titanium sheets, out of the high-temperature furnace. Subsequently, the forced-air cooling fan 24 immediately intervenes to rapidly cool the titanium sheets.

[0027] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The top frame of the automated sintering cabinet 1 is equipped with a main three-axis motion module 3, which is used to transfer the titanium sheet that has been sprayed at the front end to the titanium sheet sintering support 22.

[0028] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The main three-axis motion module 3 includes two parallel X-axis linear modules 31 fixed to the top of the automated sintering cabinet 1 frame, a Y-axis linear module 32 slidably connected to the slide of the X-axis linear module 31, and a Z-axis linear module 33 vertically slidably connected to the slide of the Y-axis linear module 32. The end of the Z-axis linear module 33 is coaxially and fixedly connected to a pneumatic gripper 34. The effective stroke of the two parallel X-axis linear modules 31 is 2400mm, the screw lead is 45mm / r, the AC servo motor capacity is 400W, and the position repeatability is ±0.05mm. The effective stroke of the Y-axis linear module 32 is 500mm, the screw lead is 10mm / r, the AC servo motor capacity is 200W, and the position repeatability is ±0.01mm. The effective stroke of the Z-axis linear module 33 is 75mm, the screw lead is 5mm / r, the AC servo motor capacity is 100W, and the position repeatability is ±0.01mm. The maximum drive speed of the X and Y axes can reach 500 mm / s, and the maximum speed of the Z axis is 250 mm / s. The pneumatic gripper 34 is model MHZ2-10D-M9P4, equipped with two magnetic switches, and the repeatability of the action is ±0.02 mm.

[0029] The main three-axis motion module 3 can drive the pneumatic gripper 34 to perform three-dimensional motion, which is used to receive the titanium sheet coated with the precursor solution at the front end and transfer the titanium sheet to the titanium sheet sintering support 22 in the sample injection component 23 for sintering, and to transfer the sintered titanium sheet to the discharge slide.

[0030] The automated sintering operation process is as follows: Feeding and loading stage: Reference Figure 2-3 The titanium sheet (material to be sintered) coated with precursor solution at the front end is transferred by the unloading component of the upstream automated ultrasonic spraying system and enters the process connection channel 100 of the split feeding cabinet 10. The main three-axis motion module 3 drives the pneumatic gripper 34 to grab the incoming titanium sheet and put the material to be sintered into the designated titanium sheet sintering bracket 22. Automatic sintering stage: The feeding and discharging linear module 231 sends the titanium sheet sintering bracket 22 loaded with titanium sheets into the single-zone heating channel of the heating furnace body 21. The heating furnace body 21 executes the preset temperature control program to sinter the titanium sheets coated with the precursor solution. Out-of-furnace air-cooling stage: After sintering, the feed and discharge linear module 231 moves the titanium sheet sintering support 22 out of the furnace chamber. The strong cooling fan 24 and exhaust fan 25 are started to force the sintered titanium sheet to be cooled by air. Finally, the main three-axis motion module 3 drives the pneumatic gripper 34 to grab the sintered titanium sheet and transfer it to the discharge slide.

[0031] In summary, this invention enables automated high-temperature sintering preparation of coated titanium anode materials through sixteen channels. Each channel is independent and does not affect the others, resulting in high cooling efficiency. It can meet the needs of high-throughput experiments and automated production line integration, solving the problems of cumbersome manual loading and unloading, inability to independently control multiple channels, and low cooling efficiency in existing high-temperature sintering equipment. This lays the foundation for automated sintering for an automated high-throughput coated titanium anode material research and development platform.

[0032] It should be noted that this specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the technical solution of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention, they are protected by patent law.

Claims

1. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment, characterized in that: The system includes a split-type feeding cabinet (10) and an automated sintering cabinet (1). The split-type feeding cabinet (10) forms a process connection channel (100). The automated sintering cabinet (1) forms a sintering workbench (11) connected to the process connection channel (100). The sintering workbench (11) is equipped with a sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module (2). The sintering workbench (11) is connected to sixteen powerful cooling fans (24). The top of the automated sintering cabinet (1) is equipped with a main three-axis motion module (3) for transferring the material to be sintered to the sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module (2) for automated sintering.

2. The sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sixteen-channel high-temperature sintering module (2) includes sixteen high-temperature sintering modules. Each high-temperature sintering module includes a heating furnace body (21), a titanium sheet sintering support (22), and a sample introduction component (23) that controls the input or output of the titanium sheet sintering support (22) to the heating furnace body (21).

3. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The sample feeding assembly (23) includes a feed-out linear module (231) and a T-shaped connector (232). The feed-out linear module (231) is fixedly connected to the surface of the sintering workbench (11) and located below the heating furnace body (21). One end of the T-shaped connector (232) is fixedly connected to the push rod of the feed-out linear module (231), and the other end is fixedly connected to the titanium sheet sintering support (22). The central axis of the titanium sheet sintering support (22) is collinear with the central axis of the single-zone heating temperature zone of the heating furnace body (21).

4. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sintering workbench (11) has sixteen ventilation holes (12); each ventilation hole (12) is located directly below the titanium sheet sintering support (22); the sintering workbench (11) has sixteen strong cooling fan mounting holes (13); each strong cooling fan (24) is detachably connected to the corresponding strong cooling fan mounting hole (13); each strong cooling fan (24) is located between adjacent heating furnace bodies (21); the strong cooling fan (24) generates airflow vertically upward.

5. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The top shell of the automated sintering cabinet (1) is connected to sixteen exhaust fans (25), with each exhaust fan (25) located above a single high-power cooling fan (24).

6. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 5, characterized in that: An exhaust channel is fixedly connected to the center of the top shell of the automated sintering cabinet (1), through which the heat inside the automated sintering cabinet (1) can be output.

7. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The main three-axis motion module (3) includes two X-axis linear modules (31), a Y-axis linear module (32) slidably connected to the slide of the X-axis linear module (31), and a Z-axis linear module (33) vertically slidably connected to the slide of the Y-axis linear module (32). The two X-axis linear modules (31) are fixed in parallel to the top of the frame of the automated sintering cabinet (1). The end of the Z-axis linear module (33) is coaxial and fixedly connected to a pneumatic gripper (34).

8. A sixteen-channel automated sintering system for high-throughput material heat treatment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The automated sintering operation process of the sixteen-channel automated sintering system includes a feeding and loading stage, an automatic sintering stage, and an exhaust air-cooling stage. The specific process of the feeding and loading stage is as follows: Titanium sheets coated with precursor solution at the front end enter the process connection channel (100) of the split feeding cabinet (10). The main three-axis motion module (3) drives the pneumatic gripper (34) to grab the incoming titanium sheet and place the titanium sheet coated with precursor solution at the front end into the designated titanium sheet sintering bracket (22). The specific process of the automatic sintering stage is as follows: The feeding and discharging linear module (2) 31) The titanium sheet sintering support (22) loaded with titanium sheets is sent into the single-zone heating channel of the heating furnace body (21), and the heating furnace body (21) executes the preset temperature control program; the specific process of the air cooling stage is as follows: After sintering, the feed and discharge linear module (231) moves the titanium sheet sintering support (22) out of the furnace chamber, and the strong cooling fan (24) and exhaust fan (25) are started to force the high temperature titanium sheet that has been sintered to be cooled by air cooling. Finally, the main three-axis motion module (3) drives the pneumatic gripper (34) to grab the sintered titanium sheet and transfer it to the discharge slide.

Images