DOI: 10.31399/asm.amp.2017-08.p016 ISSN:

Using Induction Melting to Make Lithium-Ion Battery Material

Wojciech Kasprzak, Delin Li, Gregory S. Patience, Pierre Sauriol, Hernando Villazón Amarís, Mickaël Dollé, Michel Gauthier, Steeve Rousselot, Majid Talebi-Esfandarani, Thomas Bibienne, Xueliang Sun, Yulong Liu, Guoxian Liang
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • General Materials Science

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries are an important enabling technology for electric vehicles. This article reports on a study in which an induction melting process was evaluated to produce LiFePO4 (LFP) ingots as well as granules from low-cost precursors. The melt casting process can provide the benefits of utilizing various precursors, rapid reaction kinetics, homogeneous liquid composition, and scale-up readiness. More importantly, this process also offers the possibility of lower-cost battery materials at a similar or better performance level as compared to solid state methods. If successful, melt synthesis of battery cathode material could offer a novel application of the conventional casting process.

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