Application Data & Cases

Battery Materials Industry

LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE CATHODE MATERIAL GRINDING EXPERIMENT

Ground by Tencan planetary ball mill, matched with ZrO2 grinding jar and ZrO2 balls.
Grinding time: 8 hours. Result: D50 reduced from 35 um to 180 nm, meeting the client's
nano-level dispersion requirement for battery electrode coating.

Applied Machine Model: Vertical Planetary Ball Mill XQM-4

1. Description

1) Applied Field: Lithium-ion battery cathode material preparation; new energy vehicle power battery R&D
2) Materials: Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) powder
3) Feed Size: D50 = 35 um
4) Quantity of Feed: 400 g per batch
5) Material Status: Dry powder, no agglomeration, moisture content < 0.3%
6) Customer's Request: Final particle size D50 <= 200 nm; no metallic contamination allowed; material must remain chemically stable after grinding
7) Subsequent Analysis: Laser particle size analysis (Malvern Mastersizer); BET specific surface area test; XRD phase purity verification

2. Solutions
1) Equipment Selection: Vertical Planetary Ball Mill XQM-4 - 4 x 1 L grinding stations, speed ratio 1:2, max speed 600 rpm; suitable for nano-level grinding with precise temperature control
2) Accessories: 1 L ZrO2 ceramic jar x 4; ZrO2 grinding balls (3 mm and 5 mm mixed, ratio 3:1); jar fill ratio 40%; ball-to-material ratio 10:1; anhydrous ethanol as dispersant (15 mL per 100 g material)
3) Running Parameter Setting: 450 rpm; alternating forward/reverse rotation every 30 min; interval pause 10 min per hour to prevent overheating
4) Grinding Time: 8 hours (wet grinding)
5) Grinding Result: D50 reduced from 35 um to approximately 175 nm; specific surface area increased from 14.2 m2/g to 38.7 m2/g; XRD confirmed no phase change; ICP-OES detected Zr contamination < 15 ppm - within client specification
6) Note: Temperature must be monitored throughout grinding. If jar surface temperature exceeds 45 C, extend pause interval to 20 min. Do not open jar until fully cooled to prevent powder oxidation. Wet grinding medium must be completely removed during post-drying at 80 C under vacuum.
7) Conclusion: Planetary Ball Mill XQM-4 is fully capable of grinding LiFePO4 cathode material to the nano level. The ZrO2 grinding system ensures zero iron contamination, making it an ideal solution for battery material preparation.

3. Application Field
LiFePO4 powder ground by XQM-4 can be applied to lithium-ion battery cathode materials and new energy vehicle power battery manufacturing.