Sodium-ion battery positive electrode material processing device

Abstract

The utility model provides a sodium ion battery positive electrode material processing device, and belongs to the technical field of motor active material manufacturing. Comprising a dispersing tank, a cavity and a material collecting bin, the dispersing tank is connected with a material conveying pipe, a spray head is arranged at the tail end of the material conveying pipe and located in the cavity, the cavity is connected with a vacuumizing pipe, a crawler belt is arranged below the spray head, a heating plate and a cooling plate are arranged in a crawler belt loop, the heating plate is located in the crawler belt loop, and the cooling plate is arranged close to the tail end of the crawler belt. The outlet of the cavity is connected with a collecting bin. The device is used for raw material treatment of the battery positive electrode material, and has the advantages of high stability, uniform heating, stable material performance, capability of realizing an atomization granulation effect, easiness in industrialization and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device, belonging to the field of motor active material manufacturing technology. Background Technology

[0002] The main materials used in sodium-ion batteries include electrolyte, separator, positive electrode material, and negative electrode material. Among these, the positive electrode material directly determines the performance and cost of the sodium-ion battery, and therefore constitutes a large proportion of its composition.

[0003] In the common solid-phase synthesis method of cathode materials, the raw materials are generally mixed in proportion in the form of particles and then calcined at high temperature for several hours to achieve solid-phase thermal synthesis. The performance of cathode materials is closely related to the particle size, particle size uniformity, particle morphology and particle size of their precursors.

[0004] However, the precursors are currently generally prepared using a system spray drying method. While this method is relatively convenient, it has limitations in terms of floor space, complex drying and granulation processes, and difficulty in adjusting the inlet / outlet temperatures. This makes it impossible to ensure that the precursor material has uniformly sized particles, resulting in lower battery energy density during solid-state thermal synthesis. Furthermore, during mixing and solid-state thermal synthesis, the high sugar content easily leads to equipment wall adhesion, increasing equipment failure rates and significantly reducing efficiency and production capacity. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, this application provides a sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device, which not only achieves good particle uniformity of cathode materials, especially precursors, but also enables controllability of dry heat and vacuum degree during the processing, effectively avoiding wall adhesion and realizing continuous operation.

[0006] Specifically, this application is implemented through the following scheme:

[0007] A sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device includes a dispersion tank, a conveying pipe, a cavity, and a collection bin.

[0008] A feed pipe is connected to the outlet of the dispersion tank, and a nozzle is installed at the end of the feed pipe, which is located inside the cavity.

[0009] The cavity is connected to a vacuum tube. A track is installed inside the cavity below the nozzle. A heating plate and a cooling plate are installed in the track circuit. The heating plate is located in the track circuit, and the cooling plate is located at the end of the track near the discharge mechanism.

[0010] The outlet of the cavity is connected to the collection bin.

[0011] In the above scheme, a cathode material processing device is formed by a dispersion tank, a conveying pipe, a cavity, and a collection bin connected in sequence. The feeding stage mainly consists of the dispersion tank and the conveying pipe. The raw material of the cathode material is sprayed onto the conveyor belt through a nozzle. The cavity is the core processing unit. A vacuum state is created in the cavity by a vacuum pipe. The heating plate located in the conveyor belt loop realizes targeted full-path heating of the material on the conveyor belt. Therefore, the material is pre-treated under vacuum and high temperature as it moves with the conveyor belt. When it reaches the vicinity of the discharge mechanism, the cooling plate completes the cooling of the material in the vacuum cavity, avoiding changes in the physical properties of the material caused by hot material being discharged from the vacuum cavity. The material is sent into the collection bin through the cavity outlet, and can then enter the subsequent sintering and other processes to realize the preparation process of sodium ion cathode material.

[0012] The aforementioned processing device, through spray feeding from the nozzle and vacuum heating and cooling of the cavity, not only avoids the wall-sticking phenomenon caused by the high sugar content of the material, but also meets the high-temperature vacuum requirements. The experimental operation is controllable, the process is simple, the drying efficiency is high, the material loss is reduced, and continuous feeding and discharging are achieved. It can be widely used in the research and development and production of sodium-ion battery cathode materials. When the raw materials obtained enter the sintering and other processing stages of the high-temperature solid-phase carbothermal reduction method, there will be no problem of low energy density caused by uneven particles.

[0013] Furthermore, as a preferred option:

[0014] The dispersion tank is equipped with a filter to remove impurities from the raw materials. The filter is detachably installed inside the dispersion tank. The filter includes a first filter screen and a second filter screen, which are installed from top to bottom. The second filter screen has a higher filtration accuracy than the first filter screen. The filter effectively prevents impurities from entering the nozzle and causing spray obstruction.

[0015] Even better, the slurry that has been sand-milled can be vacuum concentrated to increase the overall solid content.

[0016] The cavity includes an inner layer and a cylindrical body. The track is disposed in the inner layer, and the cylindrical body is located on the outer periphery of the inner layer. The inner layer and the cylindrical body form a double-layered cavity structure to ensure a stable internal environment and prevent heat dissipation or pressure leakage. More preferably, a heat insulation layer is disposed between the inner layer and the cylindrical body. The heat insulation layer can reduce heat loss and improve thermal efficiency.

[0017] The cavity is connected to a heat source and a cooling source. The heat source is connected to a heating plate, and the cooling source is connected to a cooling plate. The cooling source is either water-cooled or air-cooled.

[0018] The track is arranged in a serpentine, multi-layered pattern within the cavity. This serpentine, multi-layered arrangement increases the processing path length within the limited space of the cavity, resulting in a large area, high productivity, and is not limited by layer height or site constraints. More preferably, multiple heating plates are provided, distributed at different locations within the track loop, and multiple cooling plates are provided, located at different positions on the track adjacent to the discharge mechanism.

[0019] The track is equipped with a scraper for turning the material. More preferably, the track above the discharge mechanism is equipped with a scraper, which is arranged correspondingly to the track to scrape the dry material into the inlet of the discharge mechanism.

[0020] The dispersion tank is equipped with a stirring mechanism to ensure that the material inside the dispersion tank is in a dynamic state as needed, and to prevent the raw material particles from settling.

[0021] A bidirectional spiral discharge mechanism is also provided between the outlet of the cavity and the collection bin. The discharge mechanism crushes and stirs the dried material to prevent the material from clumping.

[0022] The aforementioned processing device optimizes existing continuous vacuum drying, leveraging the advantages of vacuum drying while overcoming the inherent drawbacks of using continuous vacuum drying alone. Its beneficial effects are specifically reflected in the following aspects:

[0023] (1) High stability. The above-mentioned device is particularly suitable for raw material processing in the high-temperature solid-phase carbothermal reduction method. The material is heated evenly, avoiding the phenomenon of sticking to the wall caused by high sugar content.

[0024] (2) Complete configuration. During the processing, the material is mostly attached to the surface of the track. The track can be made of high temperature resistant, corrosion resistant, weather resistant, highly lubricated, non-adhesive and non-toxic materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It is uniformly heated in high temperature vacuum and rotates at a constant speed, which overcomes the uneven heating phenomenon that is easy to occur in high temperature areas, and also avoids the problems of heat preservation, temperature measurement and temperature control that exist in traditional simple microwave heating.

[0025] (3) Simple equipment. The processing device provided in this case solves the limitations of traditional equipment on site and floor height, and can be flexibly applied to the processing of cathode materials in different scenarios. The conveyor belt can be divided into multiple layers, so that the incoming material drying area is large, the drying is uniform, and the production capacity is effectively improved.

[0026] (4) The above-mentioned processing device can be used for continuous batch production, the prepared materials have stable properties, the nozzle can achieve atomization granulation effect, the particle size is controllable, and it is easy to industrialize. It is especially suitable for alcohol-based and water-based solutions, and the residual material can be recycled, reducing the overall cost. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application.

[0028] Numbered in the diagram: 1. Dispersion tank; 11. Stirring mechanism; 2. Conveying pipe; 21. Nozzle; 3. Filter; 31. First filter screen; 32. Second filter screen; 4. Cavity; 41. Insulation layer; 42. Heat source; 421. Superheated water inlet; 422. Superheated water outlet; 43. Cooling source; 431. Cooling water inlet; 432. Cooling water outlet; 44. Vacuum pipe; 45. Track; 46. Heating plate; 47. Cooling plate; 48. Inner layer; 5. Conveying motor; 51. Discharge mechanism; 6. Collection bin; 7. Scraper. Detailed Implementation Example 1

[0029] This embodiment describes a sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device, combined with... Figure 1 It includes a dispersion tank 1, a conveying pipe 2, a cavity 4, and a collection bin 6.

[0030] A stirring mechanism 11 is installed inside the dispersion tank 1 to prevent the raw materials from settling in the dispersion tank.

[0031] The outlet of the dispersion tank 1 is connected to a conveying pipe 2, and a nozzle 21 is installed at the end of the conveying pipe 2. The nozzle 21 is located inside the cavity 1.

[0032] The cavity 4 is connected to a vacuum tube 44. A track 45 is installed in the cavity below the nozzle 21. A heating plate 46 and a cooling plate 47 are installed in the track 45 circuit. Both the heating plate 46 and the cooling plate 47 are located in the track 45 circuit, but the cooling plate 47 is located near the end of the track 45.

[0033] In the above scheme:

[0034] Track 45 uses polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tracks that are resistant to high temperatures, corrosion, and weather, have high lubricity, are non-adhesive, and are non-toxic.

[0035] Heating plate 46 can be connected to a power source to electrically heat the material on the track, or it can be used as... Figure 1 As shown, superheated water is used for heating. For example, superheated water inlet 421 and superheated water outlet 422 are connected to the cavity 4. The heating plate 46 is connected to the superheated water inlet 421 and superheated water outlet 422 of the inner vortex crystallizer through the heating pipe. The superheated water enters from the superheated water inlet 421, and after heat exchange is completed by the heating plate 46 during the flow process, it is output to the superheated water outlet 422.

[0036] Cooling plate 47 can be naturally cooled using iron plates, or it can be connected to an air-cooling system for air cooling, or it can be... Figure 1As shown, cooling water is used for heating. For example, a cooling water inlet 431 and a cooling water outlet 432 are connected to the cavity 4. The cooling plate 47 is connected to the cooling water inlet 431 and the cooling water outlet 432 of the inner vortex crystallizer through a cooling pipe. The cooling water enters from the cooling water inlet 431, and after heat exchange through the cooling plate 46 during the flow process, it is output to the cooling water outlet 432.

[0037] Track 4 can be adopted as follows Figure 1 The serpentine multi-layer structure shown is designed to increase the processing path length within the limited space of cavity 4.

[0038] Multiple heating plates 46 can be provided and distributed at different positions within the track 45 circuit. Multiple cooling plates 47 can also be provided and distributed at different positions near the end of the track 45.

[0039] A scraper 7 can be installed at the end of the track 4 near the collection bin 6 to separate the material.

[0040] The above-mentioned device processes aqueous raw materials for sodium-ion battery cathode materials: Fe2O3, sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2PO4), citric acid, and glucose, meeting certain fineness requirements, are mixed with water in the corresponding molar ratio, milled, and then fed into dispersion tank 1 as a suspension. The mixture is then pumped out through conveyor pipe 2 at a stirring frequency of 50Hz, pressurized by a pressure pump, and sprayed into cavity 4 by nozzle 21. The section of track 45 closest to nozzle 21 is designated as a preheating section. Figure 1 The uppermost layer, corresponding to the first track 45, is the area with a temperature of 110℃ and a drying time of 30 minutes. Subsequent zones are the second and third zones (i.e., the reaction zone). Figure 1 The second, third, and fourth layers of track 45 correspond to the area where the temperature of the second and third zones is 130℃. After drying for 20 minutes, the drying continues for another 100 minutes under this constant temperature condition. The material is then naturally cooled in the fourth zone (the second half of the fourth layer of track 45) corresponding to the cooling plate 47. The pre-treated raw material is then discharged through the collection bin 6 and enters the high-temperature sintering cathode material preparation stage.

[0041] In the above process, raw materials of a certain particle size are sprayed onto the track 45 in the form of a spray nozzle 21, resulting in good granulation effect. Under the combined action of the vacuum tube 45 and the heating plate 46 in the track 45 circuit, the material on the track 45 achieves targeted full-path vacuum heating. The material is heated evenly, avoiding the wall sticking phenomenon caused by high sugar content during subsequent sintering. When it reaches the vicinity of the discharge mechanism 51, the material is cooled in the cavity 4 with the help of the cooling plate 47, avoiding changes in the physical properties of the material caused by the hot material being discharged from the cavity 4. During the processing in the cavity 4, the particle size can be reduced by controlling the heating temperature (temperature of heating plate 46) and heating time (circuit length of track 45, number of heating plates 46 opened), controlling the uniformity of product particles, which can meet the processing requirements of high-temperature solid-phase carbothermal reduction method, and will not cause problems caused by uneven particles. The electrochemical reversible capacity is above 130mAh / g, and the cycle performance is good. Example 2

[0042] This embodiment has the same setup as Embodiment 1, except that a filter 3 can also be provided. The filter can be as follows: Figure 1 It is located at the outlet of the dispersion tank 1, that is, at the point where the conveying pipe 2 connects to the dispersion tank 1.

[0043] Filter 3 is installed in a detachable manner, making it easy to remove and replace.

[0044] The filter 3 includes a first filter screen 31 and a second filter screen 32. The first filter screen 31 is a stainless steel filter plate with an 80-mesh pore size, and the second filter screen 32 is a stainless steel filter plate with a 100-mesh pore size. Example 3

[0045] This embodiment is the same as the one in embodiment 1, except that the cavity 4 is a double-layer structure including an inner layer 48 and a cylindrical body (not shown in the figure). The cylindrical body is fitted around the outer periphery of the inner layer 48, and the inner layer 48 and the cylindrical body form a double-layer cavity to ensure a stable environment inside the cavity 4 and avoid heat dissipation or pressure leakage.

[0046] A heat insulation layer 41 can also be provided between the inner layer 48 and the cylinder. The heat insulation layer 41 can reduce heat loss and improve thermal efficiency. Example 4

[0047] This embodiment has the same setup as Embodiment 1, except that: the outlet of the cavity 4 is connected to a discharge mechanism 51, which is a bidirectional spiral structure driven by a conveying motor 5; a collection bin 6 is connected below the discharge mechanism 51. The pre-treated raw material is processed by the discharge mechanism 51 below the outlet of the cavity 4 and the pulverizer at a frequency of 20Hz, then discharged through the collection bin 6, and then enters the high-temperature sintering cathode material preparation stage.

[0048] The above-mentioned processing device optimizes the raw material processing process, which not only gives full play to the advantages of vacuum heating, but also overcomes the inherent disadvantages of using it alone. When the raw materials prepared are used in the preparation of cathode materials, it can realize the preparation of composite coated sodium-ion battery cathode materials with excellent electrochemical performance. It has the advantages of strong stability, uniform heating, stable material properties, atomization granulation effect of the nozzle, and easy industrialization.

Claims

1. A sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device, characterized in that: Includes dispersion tank, cavity, and collection bin. The dispersion tank is connected to a conveying pipe, and a nozzle is installed at the end of the conveying pipe, which is located inside the cavity. The cavity is connected to a vacuum tube, and a track is installed below the nozzle. A heating plate and a cooling plate are installed in the track circuit. The heating plate is located in the track circuit, and the cooling plate is located near the end of the track. The material collection bin is connected to the cavity outlet.

2. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dispersion tank is equipped with a filter.

3. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The filter includes a first filter screen and a second filter screen, which are installed from top to bottom. The second filter screen has a higher filtration accuracy than the first filter screen.

4. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity includes an inner layer and a cylindrical body. The track is disposed in the inner layer, and the cylindrical body is located on the outer periphery of the inner layer. The inner layer and the cylindrical body form a double-layered cavity structure.

5. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A heat insulation layer is provided between the inner layer and the cylinder.

6. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cavity is connected to a heat source and a cooling source. The heat source is connected to a heating plate, and the cooling source is connected to a cooling plate.

7. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tracks are distributed in multiple serpentine layers within the cavity.

8. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The track is equipped with a scraper.

9. The sodium-ion battery cathode material processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dispersion tank is equipped with a stirring mechanism.

10. A sodium-ion battery cathode material processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: A discharge mechanism is provided between the cavity and the collection bin. The discharge mechanism is a bidirectional spiral structure, with its inlet connected to the cavity outlet and its outlet connected to the collection bin.

Images