A Process For Preparaing Nanostructured Lifepo4 C And It Derivates
Abstract:
According to this invention there is provided a process for preparing
nanostructured LiFePO4-C comprising the steps of: preparing a
homogenous mixture of stoichiometric amount of Lithium, iron and
phosphate Salts (for co-doped product, any salt of containing cation like
Ti, Zr, B, V and any salt containing S, F, CI, Br as anion); preparing a
stoichiometric solution of polyethylene glycol (PEG); mixing both the
solutions in a high speed mixing vessel for 2-5 hours; Ball milling the mixture
for 12-24 hours, subjecting the mixture to the step of drying at a
temperature range of 80 - 140 ° C; calcining the dried mass at a
temperature range of 350 -500° C for 5-12 hours in inert atmosphere and
pulverizing the final calcined powder calcined at a temperature range of
600°-750°C for 5-15 hours in inert atmosphere to get the final product.
Specification
FIELD OF INVENTION:
A process for preparing nanostructured LiFePO4 -C and it derivatives. The
invention particularly relates to a process of making LiFePO4-C and LiFe1-x
Mx PO4-YNY -C (Where, M = Ti, Zr, B, V and N = S, F, CI Br etc) composite
cathode materials for application in lithium-ion batteries.
Background of the Invention:
Lithium-ion battery technology has become increasingly important in
recent years because it provides lightweight, compact, high energy
density batteries for powering appliances in the rapidly growing electronic
industries. These batteries are also considered as power sources for future
electric vehicles [Evs] and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).A typical
commercial lithium commercial lithium-ion cell consists of a layered
UCoO2 as cathode, LiPF6 in EC/DMC as electrolyte and graphite anode.
However, the capacity and rate performance of today's lithium-ion
batteries are limited which hinders its application in green vehicles
technology. Therefore, all battery scientists are focused on overcoming
the technical barriers associated with future battery technology, namely
cost, performance, safety and life. To the fulfillments of above,
improvements on the cathode materials are critical for achieving high
energy density lithium-ion batteries. Considerable efforts are presently
being directed towards the replacement of the high-cost, toxic LiCoO2
cathode with more affordable and sustainable materials. Promising
candidates are lithum manganese oxide, lithium vanadium oxide and
lithium iron phosphates. Particularly, the phosphor-olivine, LiFePO4 (LEP),
which in a lithium cell may be reversely delithiated to FePO4, has emerged
as the candidate cathode material for next generation EVs and HEVs
technology. This material is cheap, environmentally benign, and has a
reasonably high capacity (170mAhg-1), i.e., approaching that of LiCoO2.
However, LiFePO4 is an insulator type material having more than 3 eV
band gap energy which retards its C-rate performance during high
discharge rate performance during high discharge rate condition and
also, low temperature capacity loss. Therefore, to increase its
conductivity, a thin layer of carbon coating is suggested to achieve a
minimum conductivity during solid state lithium intercalation. In another
approach, it has been observed that doping can also improve its
conductivity during charge transfer process.
It has been observed in many cases that sulfur doping at Oxygen site may
increase the lattice volume of cathode materials facilitating Li-on
conduction during charge-discharge process. Sulfur doping also helps in
stabilizing the structure giving a good support to the Metal-S bond and
may play a major role during high and low temperature operation. This is
due to the fact that during charge-discharge process at high and low
temperature, the structural strain is maximum in the lattice. Sulfur as its
volume is comparatively larger than oxygen, it enlarge the lattice which in
turn helps in charge transfer process. Therefore, accessible capacity as
high and low temperature is more than that of pristine LiFePO4-C
composite.
There are number of wet chemical methods such as co-precipitation,
hydrothermal, sol-gel etc that are found in various literatures for making
nanostructures LiFePO4-C composite and its derivatives. However, most of
them are laboratory based methods that are either not facile or having
lots of complications for process up-scaling and executing in bulk.
The material produced using conventional industrial solid state process
has several disadvantages such as inhomogenity, irregular and
inconsistent particle morphology, larger particle size, poor control of
stoichiometry etc while working in range of particles of submicron sized.
Therefore, an advanced solid state process has been invented in this work
to counter all the disadvantages related to conventional solid state
process of preparing particularly nano-structured LiFePO4 -C and LiFe1-
xMxPO4-yNy-C.
Reference may be laid to Patent Number WO2008067677 also published
as CN101636861A (Applicant: Phostech Lithium Inc.) wherein they claim
involving the formation of a complex oxide (LFP) that is prepared by the
solid state reaction of precursors under reducing atmosphere utilizing
different raw materials for the introduction of Li, PO4 3- and Fe to obtain
the lithium iron phosphate based electrode active materials involving
multiple steps of nanogrinding and pyrolysis. It is well known that
conventional solid state process has its own demerits like multi time
grinding, inhomogenity, etc. Therefore production of nano LFP-C and its
derivatives is very difficult in using the conventional solid state process.
Again, it should be noted that too high a pyrolysis temperature has a
tendency to result in the formation of grains which are fine but solidly
agglomerated.
US 2008/0241690 Patent Number teaches of a process of preparing
crystalline LiFePO4 powder from a water based mixture having a Ph range
between 6-10 containing water miscible boiling point elevation additives
and Li, Fe precursor component. The process requires a stringent control
of Ph and the use of co-solvent like DMSO. Upon heating DMSO as above
100° C (212° F), sulfur dioxide is evolved from this substance. Hazardous
thermo-oxidative degradation products from DMSO include
formaldehyde, methyl mercaptan and sulfur dioxide which are toxic and
bad for human safety as well as environment.
Reference may also be laid to Patent Number US 2002/0192137A1 relates
to the production of nanoscale and submicron particles of LifePO4 and
LiFe1-xMnxPO4 (0.4< x <) by a laser pyrolysis method. However, laser
pyrolysis methods. However, laser pyrolysis methods are relatively
expensive process, and powders produced by such method are not
suitable for cost conscious applications like electric vehicles and hybrid
electric vehicles technology.
Further, US Patent Number 20090072203 also teaches of a process for
preparing a carbon-coated Li-containing olivine or NASICON powder,
comprising the steps of preparing a water-based solution comprising, as
solutes, one or more Li-containing olivine or NASICON precursor
compounds and polymerizing the monomer compounds in a single step,
heat treating the obtained precipitate in a neutral or reducing
environment so as to form a Li- containing olivine or NASICON crystalline
phase and decompose the polymer compound. The process is multi step
and not an in-situ coating process which may lead to non-uniform carbon
coating of Li- containing olivine or nasicon powder. Reference may be
lead to Unites States Patent Number 7670721 wherein they describes a
process for the manufacture of a lithium insertion electrode comprising
the steps of: providing an equimolar aqueous solution of Li1+, Mn+ and
PO43- prepared by dissolving components which are susceptible to coexist
as solutes in an aqueous system and which, upon heating at a
temperature below 500o C, decompose to form a pure homogenous Li
and M phosphate precursor; evaporating water form the solution, thereby
producing a solid mixture; decomposing the solid mixture at a
temperature below 500 oC to form a pure homogenous Li and M
phosphate precursor ; annealing the precursor at a temperature of less
than 600 oC in an inert of reducing atmosphere, thereby forming a LiMPO4
powder of olivine structure; providing a mixture of the LiMPO4 powder
and a conductive carbon bearing powder. However, the above-
mentioned process is behind the scope of our process and composition.
The process directly describes about the process of manufacturing doped
LiFePO4 or LiMPO4, whereas present process is dealing with the
composition of co-doped (both cationic and anionic doping) LiFePO4.
Similarly Unites States Patent Number 7101521 relates to a method for the
preparation of a cathode active material comprising: mixing, milling and
sintering materials for synthesis of a compound represented by the
general formula LixFePO4, where 0
Documents
Application Documents
| # |
Name |
Date |
| 1 |
261-kol-2011-abstract.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 1 |
261-kol-2011-specification.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 2 |
261-kol-2011-claims.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 2 |
261-kol-2011-form-3.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 3 |
261-kol-2011-correspondence.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 3 |
261-kol-2011-form-2.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 4 |
261-kol-2011-description (complete).pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 4 |
261-kol-2011-form-1.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 5 |
261-kol-2011-description (complete).pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 5 |
261-kol-2011-form-1.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 6 |
261-kol-2011-correspondence.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 6 |
261-kol-2011-form-2.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 7 |
261-kol-2011-claims.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 7 |
261-kol-2011-form-3.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 8 |
261-kol-2011-abstract.pdf |
2011-10-06 |
| 8 |
261-kol-2011-specification.pdf |
2011-10-06 |