The Challenge: A client required specialized ceramic-based materials for high-performance battery applications. In the energy storage sector, particle morphology is critical; particles cannot be hollow, broken, or irregularly shaped, as these defects can lead to “hot spots” or poor packing in electrode coatings. A narrow particle size distribution was essential to achieve the high tap density and superior powder flow properties required for high-speed slurry casting. Furthermore, the mechanical integrity of the particles had to be high enough to survive pneumatic conveying, yet low enough to allow for rapid, uniform dispersion when exposed to a solvent or binder system.
AVEKA‘s Solution: Our utilized our spray drying technology to engineer the ceramic material with a specific surfactant and binder system. After conducting rigorous trials, the team successfully produced highly-engineered, dispersible secondary particles with the precise morphology required for battery-grade specifications. To optimize the internal density and spherical shape of the particles, we expertly varied the feed formulation, liquid atomization pressures, feed rates, and dryer thermal profiles.
