Rotary Tube Furnace: Unlocking a New Journey in Lithium Battery Oxide Preparation

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Rotary Tube Furnace: Unlocking a New Journey in Lithium Battery Oxide Preparation

1. Rotary Tube Furnace – A New Tool for Lithium Battery Material Preparation

1.1 Core Design and Working Principle
Composed of high-temperature resistant furnace tube, segmented heating module, precision transmission system, atmosphere control system and intelligent temperature control unit, the rotary tube furnace is tailored to meet the needs of lithium battery oxide preparation:

Furnace Tube: Optional materials include 310S stainless steel (≤1000℃), corundum (≤1600℃) or high-purity alumina (impurity content <0.005%) to prevent metal ion contamination. The tube diameter is matched to production capacity (Φ50-100mm for laboratory use, Φ200-300mm for pilot scale, Φ500-800mm for industrial scale), and the inner wall is polished (Ra <0.4μm) to reduce adhesion and residue.

Heating Module: Adopts anti-oxidation resistance wires (service life ≥5000h) or silicon carbide rods (≥8000h), divided into 3-5 independent temperature control zones (accuracy ±1℃). It supports multi-segment program setting to automatically complete stepwise heating, avoiding manual operation errors.

Atmosphere Control: Features double-sealed flanges (leak rate ≤1×10⁻⁵Pa·m³/s) + three-stage gas purification (dehydration, organic matter removal, oxygen reduction to O₂ <0.1ppm). Combined with gas preheating, it ensures a stable atmospheric environment.

Transmission System: Driven by a servo motor (stepless speed regulation of 0-30r/min, accuracy ±0.1r/min), the rotation speed and furnace tube inclination angle (0-5°) can be adjusted to optimize material residence time (10-60min) and prevent sintering.

2. Carbonate Decomposition – The Core Link of Oxide Preparation

2.1 Reaction Mechanism and Equipment Adaptability
Precise temperature control is required for the decomposition of lithium battery carbonates, and the structure of the rotary tube furnace can perfectly match this demand:

Segmented Temperature Control for Stepwise Reaction: Taking ternary carbonate (LiNi₀.8Co₀.1Mn₀.1CO₃) as an example, the feed end is set at 300-500℃ for dehydration, the middle section at 750-800℃ for main decomposition, and the discharge end at 500-600℃ for preliminary cooling to avoid high-temperature oxidation.

Atmosphere Regulation to Inhibit Side Reactions: Inert gas (O₂ <0.1ppm) is introduced to prevent excessive oxidation of Co²⁺, while timely removing CO₂ to avoid reverse reactions (oxide + CO₂ → carbonate).

Dynamic Tumbling for Efficiency Improvement: The rotation of the furnace tube increases the material porosity to 30%-40% (only 15%-20% in static state), improving CO₂ escape efficiency. The reaction rate is accelerated by 20%-30%, shortening the heat preservation time.

2.2 Impact of Parameter Optimization on Oxide Quality
Furnace parameters need to be adjusted according to the characteristics of the target oxide:

Purity Control: Inert gas is introduced for 15-20min to replace air before feeding, and flange gaskets are replaced regularly (every 300h) to ensure the total impurity content of oxides is <0.01%.

Crystallinity Regulation: With a heating rate of 10-15℃/min and heat preservation for 3-4h, the XRD full width at half maximum (FWHM) is <0.2% and crystallinity is ≥90%, ensuring ion conduction performance.

Particle Size and Morphology Control: For agglomeration-prone raw materials (e.g., NiCO₃), high rotation speed (20-25r/min) + low feeding rate (5-10kg/h) are used to break up agglomerates (D50 8-12μm); for materials with good fluidity (e.g., MnCO₃), lower rotation speed (10-15r/min) + higher feeding rate (15-20kg/h) are adopted to ensure sphericity ≥85%.

3. Core Advantages of Rotary Tube Furnace

3.1 High Product Consistency

The overall temperature difference is <5℃ and residence time deviation is <5%. For the annual production of 1000 tons of ternary oxides, the batch coefficient of variation (CV) is <8% and specific capacity difference is <3mAh/g, which is better than industry standards (CV 15%, difference 5mAh/g).

A spiral distributor is installed at the feed inlet, and guide grooves are set on the inner wall of the furnace tube, ensuring the material composition uniformity reaches over 95%.

The furnace tube is detachable for cleaning, with an isolation cover for heating elements. Empty furnace baking (800℃ for 1h) removes impurities, controlling pollution from the source.

3.2 Strong Process Adaptability

Wide Temperature Range Control: Adjustable from room temperature to 1600℃, suitable for the decomposition of low-melting-point (MnCO₃ 300-500℃) and medium-high melting-point (Li₂CO₃ >723℃) carbonates, supporting constant temperature, stepwise heating and other modes.

Multi-Atmosphere Switching: Can introduce inert, reductive (hydrogen-nitrogen mixture) or oxidative atmospheres, with switching possible without shutdown, meeting the needs of multi-variety production.

Capacity Flexibility: Through the combination of tube diameter, rotation speed and feeding rate, it achieves seamless connection from laboratory (50g/batch) to industrial production (500kg/h). The core technology of the equipment is consistent, avoiding process transfer problems.

3.3 Excellent Cost-Effectiveness

Energy Saving: The composite insulation (heat loss rate <12%) saves 25%-35% energy compared with static furnaces. High-end models are equipped with waste heat recovery systems, saving approximately 600,000 RMB in electricity costs per year for the annual production of 1000 tons of ternary oxides.

Efficiency Improvement: Continuous production (cycle 30-60min, utilization rate ≥90%) compared with static furnaces (cycle 8-12h, utilization rate 60%). Only 3 units are needed for annual production of 1000 tons (10+ units for static furnaces), saving 60% of floor space and 50% of equipment cost.

Waste Reduction: The product qualification rate increases from 85% to 98%, reducing raw material waste by 130 tons for annual production of 1000 tons (saving 6.5 million RMB in cost). Each production line reduces 3-5 operators, saving approximately 500,000 RMB in labor costs per year.

4. How to contact us?

Zhengzhou Protech Technology Co.,LTD is a professional manufacturer specializing in tube furnaces, muffle furnaces, atmosphere furnaces, and vacuum furnaces. We are committed to providing targeted solutions to meet your diverse heating equipment needs.

For customized heating solutions tailored to your specific requirements, feel free to get in touch with us:
WhatsApp: +86 17719806024
Email: info@lab-furnace.com

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Rotary Tube Furnace: Unlocking a New Journey in Lithium Battery Oxide Preparation

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