System device for preparing positive electrode material

Abstract

The utility model discloses a system device for preparing a positive electrode material, which comprises six functional components, namely a liquid inlet component, a spraying component, a microwave heating component, a high-temperature pyrolysis component, a material collecting component and a solvent recycling component, in a synergistic manner, a liquid inlet mechanism completes dissolution and accurate conveying of the material by virtue of a slurry tank and a material pump; the atomizing nozzle can flexibly switch various spraying modes such as a pressure type and a centrifugal type to realize high-efficiency atomization of materials, the microwave heating part utilizes a microwave cavity constructed by a magnetron to realize rapid and uniform heating from the interior of the materials, and the high-temperature pyrolysis part depends on a fluidized bed layer and a heating sleeve to provide a stable high-temperature environment for material pyrolysis; the materials are prevented from being stacked through the rapping equipment, the materials are efficiently collected through the material collecting mechanism by means of a cyclone separator and a dust remover, and the solvent is recycled through the solvent recycling mechanism. According to the utility model, a plurality of complicated processes such as precursor coprecipitation, washing, drying, crushing and the like in the traditional positive electrode material preparation process are avoided, and the processing cost is obviously reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of lithium-ion battery technology, specifically to a system device for preparing cathode materials. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the booming development of the new energy industry, the lithium battery industry has faced increasing pressure to control costs across the entire supply chain due to fluctuations in lithium salt and raw material prices. Pursuing the ultimate cost-effectiveness has become a key direction for industry development. Against this backdrop, reducing material and processing costs has become a core demand for battery material suppliers in the lithium battery supply chain.

[0003] Currently, traditional cathode material preparation processes mainly rely on soluble salts to generate precursors such as nickel cobalt manganese hydroxide, nickel cobalt manganese oxalate, and nickel cobalt manganese carbonate through co-precipitation reactions. This process involves a series of complex steps, including dissolution, co-precipitation reaction, filtration, washing, drying, and pulverization. The resulting precursors then need to be mixed with lithium salts and additives, undergoing numerous processes such as mixing, loading into containers, sintering, coarse crushing, fine crushing, sieving, demagnetization, and packaging. This complex process keeps processing costs consistently high, making it difficult to achieve the industry's goal of achieving the ultimate cost-effectiveness.

[0004] Therefore, how to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology mentioned above has become the subject of this application. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a system device for preparing cathode materials.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0007] A system device for preparing a positive electrode material includes an atomizing tower and an atomizing nozzle. The atomizing nozzle is installed on the atomizing tower, and a liquid inlet mechanism for conveying material to the atomizing tower is connected to the atomizing tower. The atomizing nozzle is connected to a microwave cavity, and a first magnetron and a second magnetron are installed on the microwave cavity. The first magnetron and the second magnetron are symmetrically arranged. The material atomized by the atomizing tower is preheated in the microwave cavity.

[0008] The microwave cavity is connected to the pyrolysis cavity, which is arranged vertically. The heated material enters the pyrolysis cavity from the top. The pyrolysis cavity is wrapped with a heating jacket. A fluidized bed is installed inside the pyrolysis cavity. A gas source inlet is opened on the side wall near the bottom of the pyrolysis cavity. The fluidized bed is located above the gas source inlet. Gas enters the pyrolysis cavity from the gas source inlet through the fluidized bed and is evenly distributed.

[0009] The bottom of the pyrolysis chamber is connected to a material collection mechanism, which is connected to a solvent recovery mechanism. After pyrolysis in the pyrolysis chamber, the material falls into the material collection mechanism under gravity and is separated. The separated particulate material enters the solvent recovery mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the liquid feeding mechanism includes a slurry tank and a feed pump. The slurry tank is connected to the feed pump, and the feed pump is connected to the atomizing tower. After the material is dissolved in the slurry tank, it is transported to the atomizing tower by the feed pump.

[0011] Furthermore, the atomizing tower is connected to a gas delivery mechanism, which includes a gas filter, a blower, and a heater connected in sequence. The heater is connected to the atomizing tower, and the gas source enters the atomizing tower after passing through the gas filter, the blower, and the heater in sequence.

[0012] Furthermore, the material collection mechanism includes a cyclone separator and a dust collector connected together. The material enters the cyclone separator and is separated under the action of centrifugal force. Large particles fall and are collected under the action of gravity, while fine particles enter the dust collector with the airflow and are collected.

[0013] Furthermore, the solvent recovery mechanism includes a condenser, a chiller, and a circulation pump connected in sequence. The condenser is connected to the dust collector. Gas enters the condenser through the dust collector and condenses into liquid. The liquid is then transported to the chiller for purification through the circulation pump.

[0014] Furthermore, the maximum heating temperature of the heating jacket is 950°C.

[0015] Furthermore, a rapping device is installed at the bottom of the pyrolysis chamber.

[0016] Furthermore, the atomizing nozzle has atomization methods such as pressure spraying, centrifugal spraying, ultrasonic spraying, and airflow spraying.

[0017] Furthermore, the heating jacket is heated electrically.

[0018] Furthermore, the atomizing tower and the atomizing nozzle are detachably connected.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are:

[0020] 1. By integrating the spray pyrolysis process into a single unit, the complex multiple processes such as precursor co-precipitation, washing, drying, and pulverization in the traditional cathode material preparation process are avoided, significantly reducing processing costs. The finished product is obtained in one step, shortening the entire production process, reducing the number of equipment used and the floor space occupied, and reducing labor and material costs.

[0021] 2. Heating through the internal heat source of the microwave cavity can effectively avoid the problem of uneven heating of material particles inside and outside compared with traditional external heating methods, significantly shorten the heating time, improve the heating efficiency of materials per unit time, and thus increase product output. At the same time, due to the low inertia of microwave heating, it is easy to quickly control the heating temperature, which is conducive to realizing the automated control of continuous production.

[0022] 3. By combining fluidized bed and spray, a unique design is formed into a pyrolysis tower, which enables materials to complete the molding, preparation and calcination process simultaneously in the pyrolysis tower, realizing an integrated material processing flow, simplifying the process flow and improving production efficiency.

[0023] 4. By combining a refrigeration unit, a circulating pump, and a condenser, the solvent consumption during the preparation of cathode materials is effectively reduced, enabling the recycling of solvents, reducing production costs, and minimizing environmental pollution. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Appendix Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals and components in the accompanying drawings:

[0027] 1. Slurry tank; 2. Material pump; 3. Atomizing tower; 4. Atomizing nozzle; 5. Gas filter; 6. Gas source; 7. Heater; 8. Blower; 9. Microwave cavity; 101. First magnetron; 102. Second magnetron; 11. Heating jacket; 12. Pyrolysis chamber; 13. Fluidized bed plate; 14. Gas source inlet; 15. Vibrating device; 16. Cyclone separator; 17. Dust collector; 18. Refrigeration unit; 19. Circulating pump; 20. Condenser. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described through specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0029] Current cathode material production processes primarily involve the co-precipitation reaction of soluble salts to generate precursors such as nickel cobalt manganese hydroxide, nickel cobalt manganese oxalate, and nickel cobalt manganese carbonate. The main steps include dissolution, co-precipitation reaction, filtration, washing, drying, and pulverization. The resulting precursors then require mixing with lithium salts and additives, followed by sintering. These steps include mixing, loading into containers, sintering, coarse crushing, fine crushing, sieving, demagnetization, and packaging. The numerous and complex steps result in high processing costs, making it difficult to achieve optimal cost-effectiveness. In contrast, spray pyrolysis for cathode material preparation offers advantages such as high product particle purity and minimal agglomeration, rapid pyrolysis reaction, uniform component distribution, simple process flow, and ease of large-scale production. Spray pyrolysis has thus become a highly sought-after material processing technology. The specific process begins by preparing a solution of various metal salts, lithium salts, and additives according to the stoichiometric ratio required for the cathode material. This solution is then atomized by an atomizer and carried by a high-temperature carrier gas into a high-temperature reactor. In the reactor, a series of physicochemical processes are completed instantaneously, including solvent evaporation, solute precipitation to form solid particles, particle drying, particle thermal decomposition, and sintering, ultimately resulting in an ultrafine powder. Compared to traditional cathode production processes, the spray pyrolysis method is simpler, yielding the finished product in one step, eliminating the need for precursor co-precipitation reactions, washing, drying, and pulverizing processes, thus significantly reducing processing costs.

[0030] This application provides a cathode material with advantages such as controllable particle size distribution, good particle uniformity, low agglomeration, rapid pyrolysis reaction, uniform component distribution, simple process steps, and ease of large-scale production. Spray pyrolysis has become a popular material processing technology to solve problems such as high processing costs. See appendix. Figure 1 As shown, a system apparatus for preparing a positive electrode material according to this application includes an atomizing tower 3 and an atomizing nozzle 4. The atomizing nozzle 4 is installed on the atomizing tower 3, and a liquid inlet mechanism for conveying material to the atomizing tower 3 is connected to it. The atomizing nozzle 4 is connected to a microwave cavity 9, and a first magnetron 101 and a second magnetron 102 are installed on the microwave cavity 9. The first magnetron 101 and the second magnetron 102 are symmetrically arranged. The material atomized by the atomizing tower 3 is preheated in the microwave cavity 9. The microwave cavity 9 is connected to a pyrolysis chamber 12, which is arranged vertically. The heated material flows out from the pyrolysis chamber 12. The gas enters the pyrolysis chamber 12 from the top. The pyrolysis chamber 12 is wrapped with a heating jacket 11. A fluidized bed 13 is installed inside the pyrolysis chamber 12. A gas source inlet 14 is opened on the side wall near the bottom of the pyrolysis chamber 12. The fluidized bed 13 is located above the gas source inlet 14. The gas enters the pyrolysis chamber 12 from the gas source inlet 14 through the fluidized bed 13 and is evenly distributed. A material collection mechanism is connected to the bottom of the pyrolysis chamber 12. The material collection mechanism is connected to the solvent recovery mechanism. After pyrolysis in the pyrolysis chamber 12, the material falls into the material collection mechanism for separation by gravity. The separated particulate material enters the solvent recovery mechanism.

[0031] The following provides further explanation of the above structure:

[0032] See appendix Figure 1 As shown, the liquid feeding mechanism includes a slurry tank 1 and a feed pump 2. The slurry tank 1 is connected to the feed pump 2, which is also connected to the atomizing tower 3. The slurry tank 1 is used to store and dissolve the raw materials of the cathode material. Metal salts, lithium salts, additives, etc., can be added as needed to prepare the required solution. The feed pump 2 is responsible for drawing the solution out of the slurry tank 1 and pushing the solution to the subsequent atomizing tower 3, thereby completing the dissolution and transfer of the material. The atomizing tower 3 is also connected to a gas conveying mechanism, which includes a gas filter 5, a blower 6, and a heater 7 connected in sequence. The heater 7 is connected to the atomizing tower 3. The gas source first passes through the gas filter 5 and is then sent to the heater 7 by the blower 6 for heating before entering the atomizing tower 3 along with the material. The gas source delivered by the blower 6 helps the solution flow and disperse better within the system, and also helps the solution atomize during the subsequent spraying process. After being atomized in the atomizing tower 3, the material is sprayed out from the atomizing nozzle 4. The atomizing tower 3 and the atomizing nozzle 4 are detachably connected, making it easy to replace the atomizing nozzle 4. The atomizing nozzle 4 of this application has at least one of the following spraying methods: pressure spray (by applying a certain pressure, the solution is sprayed out from the small hole of the nozzle to form droplets, which has the advantage of uniform spraying and is suitable for large-scale production), centrifugal spray (using a high-speed rotating disc to throw the solution into droplets, which can produce finer and more uniformly distributed droplets, suitable for situations with high requirements for product particle size), ultrasonic spray (using the energy of ultrasound to break the solution into droplets, which can produce extremely fine droplets, which is beneficial to improving the uniformity and purity of the product), and airflow spray (using high-speed airflow to disperse the solution into droplets, which is simple to operate and the droplet size can be adjusted according to the airflow speed and solution flow rate). It can atomize the input material into fine droplets, which is beneficial to the subsequent pyrolysis reaction.

[0033] The atomizing nozzle 4 is connected to the microwave cavity 9, which is equipped with a first magnetron 101 and a second magnetron 102. The first magnetron 101 and the second magnetron 102 are symmetrically arranged. Through the coordinated operation of the first magnetron 101 and the second magnetron 102, the material atomized by the atomizing tower 3 is heated in the microwave cavity 9. The microwaves generated by the first magnetron 101 and the second magnetron 102 form an electromagnetic field within the microwave cavity 9, heating the atomized droplets entering the cavity. Because microwave heating is internal, the material is heated uniformly, avoiding the temperature differences between the inside and outside that may occur with traditional external heating, and greatly shortening the heating time. The advantages of this internal heating method are: firstly, high heating efficiency, which can quickly evaporate the solvent and precipitate the solute in the atomized droplets to form solid particles; secondly, low heating inertia, which allows for rapid temperature adjustment as needed, facilitating automatic temperature control in continuous production processes.

[0034] The microwave cavity 9 is connected to the pyrolysis cavity 12, which is vertically oriented. The heated material enters the pyrolysis cavity 12 from the top. The pyrolysis cavity 12 is externally encased in a heating jacket 11, and a fluidized bed 13 is installed inside. A gas inlet 14 is located on the side wall near the bottom of the pyrolysis cavity 12, above which the fluidized bed 13 is positioned. Gas enters the pyrolysis cavity 12 through the gas inlet 14 and is evenly distributed within the fluidized bed 13. As described above, gas enters through the gas inlet 14 on the lower side wall of the pyrolysis cavity 12, passes through the fluidized bed 13, and then enters the pyrolysis cavity 12. The design of the fluidized bed 12 ensures good fluidity of the material during pyrolysis, preventing material accumulation and agglomeration. The heating jacket 11, which is electrically heated, provides sufficient heat, allowing the temperature inside the pyrolysis cavity 12 to reach above 950°C, meeting the requirements of high-temperature pyrolysis reactions. Specifically, in this embodiment, a rapping device 15 is installed at the bottom of the pyrolysis chamber 12. The rapping device 15 operates periodically or intermittently, using vibration to disperse any material that may accumulate at the bottom, ensuring that the material is well dispersed during pyrolysis, thereby improving reaction efficiency and product quality. This application employs a pyrolysis tower formed by combining fluidized bed and spray technology, integrating the material forming, preparation, and calcination processes into a single unit, achieving a compact process flow and improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0035] A material collection mechanism is connected to the bottom of the pyrolysis chamber 12, which mainly consists of a cyclone separator 16 and a dust collector 17. After high-temperature pyrolysis, the material particles and gas enter the cyclone separator 16 together. In the cyclone separator 16, due to centrifugal force, larger particles are separated and settle to the bottom along the wall of the cyclone separator 16, while smaller particles and gas continue to enter the dust collector 17. Through filtration or electrostatic adsorption, the dust collector 17 collects the fine particles, achieving efficient collection of the product.

[0036] The material collection mechanism is connected to the solvent recovery mechanism, which consists of a chiller 18, a circulating pump 19, and a condenser 20. During the spray pyrolysis process, a large amount of solvent vapor is generated. This vapor enters the condenser 20 through pipes. The condenser 20 uses low temperature to condense the solvent vapor into liquid. The chiller 18 can provide a low temperature environment to enhance the condensation effect. The circulating pump 19 transports the condensed solvent liquid back to the system to realize the recycling of solvent, reduce solvent consumption, reduce production costs, and also meet environmental protection requirements.

[0037] In use, this application first places various raw materials required for the cathode material, such as metal salts, lithium salts, and additives, into a slurry tank 1 in proportion and dissolves them by stirring or other means to form a uniform solution. The material pump 2 pumps the solution and carrier gas together into the atomizing tower 3. The atomizing nozzle 4 atomizes the solution into tiny droplets according to the set spray pattern. These droplets enter the microwave cavity 9, where they rapidly heat up under the action of the microwave field, the solvent evaporates quickly, and the solute precipitates to form solid particles. The solid particles then enter the pyrolysis chamber 12, where they undergo further thermal decomposition and sintering processes under the action of high temperature and carrier gas. At the same time, the fluidized bed plate 13 ensures that the particles are in a good flow state, preventing agglomeration and accumulation. The material and gas after high-temperature pyrolysis enter the material collection mechanism, where larger particles are first separated by a cyclone separator 16, and then fine particles are collected by a dust collector 17 to obtain the desired cathode material product. The solvent recovery mechanism condenses and recovers the solvent vapor generated during the pyrolysis process and sends it back to the system through a circulating pump 19 for reuse.

[0038] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A system device for preparing a cathode material, characterized in that, The device comprises an atomizing tower and an atomizing nozzle, the atomizing nozzle is installed on the atomizing tower, a liquid inlet mechanism is connected to the atomizing tower to supply material, the atomizing nozzle is connected to a microwave cavity, a first magnetron and a second magnetron are installed on the microwave cavity, the first magnetron and the second magnetron are symmetrically arranged, and the material atomized by the atomizing tower is preheated in the microwave cavity. The microwave cavity is connected to a pyrolysis cavity, the pyrolysis cavity is arranged in a vertical direction, the material heated is introduced into the pyrolysis cavity from the top of the pyrolysis cavity, the pyrolysis cavity is wrapped by a heating jacket, a fluidized bed is installed in the pyrolysis cavity, a gas inlet is arranged on the side wall of the pyrolysis cavity close to the bottom, and the fluidized bed is located above the gas inlet. A material collecting mechanism is connected to the bottom of the pyrolysis cavity, the material collecting mechanism is connected to a solvent recovery mechanism, the material pyrolyzed in the pyrolysis cavity falls into the material collecting mechanism by gravity and is separated, and the separated particulate material enters the solvent recovery mechanism.

2. The system for preparing a cathode material according to claim 1, wherein The liquid inlet mechanism comprises a slurry tank and a pump, the slurry tank is connected to the pump, the pump is connected to the atomizing tower, and the material dissolved in the slurry tank is transported to the atomizing tower by the pump.

3. The system for preparing a cathode material according to claim 1, wherein The atomizing tower is connected to a gas supply mechanism, the gas supply mechanism comprises a gas filter, a blower and a heater connected in sequence, and the heater is connected to the atomizing tower.

4. The system for preparing a cathode material according to claim 1, wherein The material collecting mechanism comprises a cyclone separator and a dust collector connected in sequence, the material enters the cyclone separator and is separated under the action of centrifugal force, the large-particle material falls under the action of gravity and is collected, and the particulate material enters the dust collector with the airflow and is collected.

5. The system for preparing a cathode material according to claim 4, wherein The solvent recovery mechanism comprises a condenser, a refrigerator and a circulating pump connected in sequence, the condenser is connected to the dust collector, the gas enters the condenser through the dust collector and is condensed into liquid, and the liquid is transported to the refrigerator by the circulating pump for purification treatment.

6. The system for preparing a cathode material of claim 1, wherein, The maximum heating temperature of the heating jacket is 950 DEG C.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to produce a cathode material. A rapping device is installed at the bottom of the pyrolysis cavity.

8. The system for preparing a cathode material of claim 1, wherein, The atomizing nozzle has pressure spraying, centrifugal spraying, ultrasonic spraying and airflow spraying.

9. The system apparatus for preparing a positive electrode material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating jacket adopts an electric heating mode.

10. The system for preparing a cathode material of claim 1, wherein, The atomizing tower and the atomizing nozzle are detachably connected.

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