Ag-TaON Photocatalyst on Hollow Glass Microspheres for Electrolyte Degradation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for treating lithium battery electrolytes are inefficient, leading to low resource recovery rates, high catalyst costs, and ineffective degradation of electrolytes, with current catalysts having low catalytic conversion efficiency and environmental concerns due to the corrosive nature of the electrolytes.
Innovation Solution
A photocatalyst is developed by loading Ag—TaON onto hollow glass microspheres, which improves light utilization and catalytic conversion efficiency, allowing for the environmentally friendly photocatalytic degradation of electrolytes into CO2 and H2O without additional chemicals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional pyrolysis method is used to treat electrolyte, then electrolyte can be pyrolyzed together with other organic matters, but the diaphragm is also removed by pyrolysis leading to low resource recovery rate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the treatment process into two distinct stages: first pyrolyzing the battery to recover metals and other materials, then separately treating the electrolyte vapor through photocatalysis. This segmentation allows the diaphragm to be preserved during pyrolysis while the electrolyte is selectively degraded in the second stage, thereby improving resource recovery rate without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a photocatalyst as an intermediary substance that selectively catalyzes the degradation of electrolyte vapors. This intermediary enables selective treatment of electrolyte without affecting other recovered materials like the diaphragm, thus improving resource recovery rate while maintaining process feasibility.
2Productivity
If current catalyst is used to catalytically degrade electrolyte, then degradation can occur, but catalytic conversion efficiency is low and catalyst cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite photocatalyst material comprising TiO2 and TaON in specific ratios. This composite material combines the advantages of both components: TiO2 provides high photocatalytic activity under UV light, while TaON extends light absorption into the visible range. The synergistic effect improves catalytic conversion efficiency and electrolyte degradation rate while reducing the required catalyst quantity and cost compared to using pure TiO2 or other expensive catalysts.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes several parameters to improve catalytic efficiency: the TiO2:TaON mass ratio is controlled at 9:1 to 1:9 to balance photocatalytic activity and light absorption; the catalyst is supported on hollow glass microspheres with specific pore structures to increase surface area and active sites; and the particle size is controlled to enhance light scattering and utilization. These parameter changes collectively improve electrolyte degradation rate while reducing catalyst consumption and cost.
3Productivity
If photocatalyst is filled in reactor, then catalytic reaction can occur, but mutual shielding between catalysts reduces light utilization rate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention supports the photocatalyst on hollow glass microspheres that possess a porous structure. This porous support structure disperses the photocatalyst particles, preventing their aggregation and reducing mutual shielding. The porous network allows light to penetrate deeper into the catalyst layer, improving light utilization rate while maintaining high catalytic reaction activity throughout the reactor.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from using flat or densely packed catalyst layers to using hollow glass microspheres with three-dimensional porous structures. This dimensional change creates void spaces between catalyst particles, allowing light to reach catalyst sites from multiple directions and reducing shadowing effects. The 3D porous architecture improves both light penetration and catalytic efficiency simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The Ag—TaON photocatalyst enhances light utilization, reduces catalyst costs, and achieves high electrolyte conversion rates with improved stability, making the process safer and more environmentally friendly.
Implementation Method 1
the hollow glass microsphere has better light permeability, which avoids mutual shielding between catalysts
Implementation Method 2
A photocatalyst is developed by loading Ag—TaON onto hollow glass microspheres, which improves light utilization and catalytic conversion efficiency, allowing for the environmentally friendly photocatalytic degradation of electrolytes into CO2 and H2O
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a photocatalyst and application thereof in environmentally friendly photocatalytic treatment of a power battery. The photocatalyst is obtained by loading Ag—TaON on a hollow glass microsphere, wherein a mass ratio of the Ag—TaON to the hollow glass microsphere is 1:5 to 10. According to the invention, the Ag—TaON and the hollow glass microsphere are compounded, the hollow glass microsphere has better light permeability, which avoids mutual shielding between catalysts, such that the photocatalyst filled in a reactor is fully excited, which is capable of effectively improving a light utilization rate, thus improving the catalytic conversion efficiency of the photocatalyst.