Improved electrochemical activity of LiMnPO4 by high-energy ball-milling

Olivine lithium manganese phosphate (LiMnPO₄) becomes research focus because of its high energy density and improved thermal stability. However, its application in lithium ion batteries suffers severely from poor electrochemical activity due to low conductivity and structural instability upon the charge and discharge process. By applying a high-energy ball-milling method we succeed in improving the capacity delivery and rate capability. LiMnPO₄ materials ball-milled without or with acetylene black are able to deliver a high capacity of 135 and 127 mAh g⁻¹, respectively, more than 50% greater than the pristine one. Particularly, the latter also shows an improved discharge plateau and stable cyclability. High-energy synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, laser particle analysis, and galvanostatic charge and discharge are employed to understand the effect of ball-milling on the LiMnPO₄ material.     

xLi2MnO3·(1 − x)LiMO2 blended with LiFePO4 to achieve high energy density and pulse power capability

A lithium-ion positive electrode is proposed that contains both high energy density and efficient pulse power capability, even at low state-of-charge (SOC). The pulse power capability at low SOC is attractive for applications, such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which require pulse power operation over the entire useable SOC window. A lithium- and manganese-rich transition-metal layered-oxide (LMR-NMC), also classified as a layered-layered oxide material, is blended with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) to achieve a potentially low-cost, high-performance electrode. The LMR-NMC material provides high energy by delivering cathode material gravimetric energy densities greater than 890 Wh kg⁻¹. The pulse power capability of this material at low SOC is greatly improved by incorporating a modest quantity of LFP. The LFP serves as an internal redox couple to charge and discharge the more rate-limited LMR-NMC material at moderate to low SOCs.     

哈尔滨某选铜尾矿综合回收石榴石试验研究

某选铜尾矿中伴生钙铁石榴石,比较了弱磁-强磁联合试验、重选(摇床)-磁选联合试验工艺流程,后者效果较好,可获得纯度为98%、回收率为90%的钙铁石榴石精矿及含TFe、S分别为68.0%、2.28%的铁精矿(含硫较高),为其工业利用、企业效益最大化奠定了基础.     

A polyethylene glycol-assisted carbothermal reduction method to synthesize LiFePO4 using industrial raw materials

Olivine LiFePO₄ is synthesized by a carbothermal reduction method (CTR) using industrial raw materials with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reductive agent and carbon source. A required amount of acetone is added to the starting materials for the ball milling process and the precursor is sintered at 973 K for 8 h to form crystalline phase LiFePO₄. The structure and morphology of the LiFePO₄/C composite samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and magnetic susceptibility. Electrochemical measurements show that the LiFePO₄/C composite cathode delivers an initial discharge capacity of 150 mAh g⁻¹ at a 0.2C-rate between 4.0 and 2.8 V, and almost no capacity loss is observed for up to 50 cycles. Remarkably, the cell can sustain a 30C-rate between 4.6 and 2.0 V, and this rate capability is equivalent to charge or discharge in 2 min. The simple technique, low-cost starting materials, and excellent electrochemical performance make this process easier to commercialize than other synthesized methods.     

Ionic Space‐Charge Depletion in Lithium Fluoride Thin Films on Sapphire (0001) Substrates

Lithium fluoride thin films with various thicknesses have been grown on c‐plane sapphire substrates by radio‐frequency sputtering. The thin films are granular with a preferential [111] orientation of the grains. Thickness‐dependent measurements allow the separation of bulk and interface conductions. The normalized conductance decreases linearly with decreasing LiF layer thickness with a negative extrapolated intercept. DC polarization, AC impedance spectroscopy and electromotive force measurement indicate depletion of lithium ion vacancies as majority charge carriers and hence a negative space‐charge potential. A generalized Mott–Schottky approach within the model of heterogeneous doping fully explains the entire boundary defect chemistry.     

Effectiveness of antioxidants in preventing oxidation of palm oil enriched with heme iron: A model for iron fortification in baked products

Bakery products such as biscuits, cookies, and pastries represent a good medium for iron fortification in food products, since they are consumed by a large proportion of the population at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia, mainly children. The drawback, however, is that iron fortification can promote oxidation. To assess the extent of this, palm oil added with heme iron and different antioxidants was used as a model for evaluating the oxidative stability of some bakery products, such as baked goods containing chocolate. The palm oil samples were heated at 220°C for 10 min to mimic the conditions found during a typical baking processing. The selected antioxidants were a free radical scavenger (tocopherol extract (TE), 0 and 500 mg/kg), an oxygen scavenger (ascorbyl palmitate (AP), 0 and 500 mg/kg), and a chelating agent (citric acid (CA), 0 and 300 mg/kg). These antioxidants were combined using a factorial design and were compared to a control sample, which was not supplemented with antioxidants. Primary (peroxide value and lipid hydroperoxide content) and secondary oxidation parameters (p‐anisidine value, p‐AnV) were monitored over a period of 200 days in storage at room temperature. The combination of AP and CA was the most effective treatment in delaying the onset of oxidation. TE was not effective in preventing oxidation. The p‐AnV did not increase during the storage period, indicating that this oxidation marker was not suitable for monitoring oxidation in this model.     

Effect of exposure time on the morphology of corrosion on high chromium white cast iron in high temperature caustic solutions

High chromium white irons are important candidate materials for use in alumina refineries to combat wear and corrosion. The effect of exposure time on the formation of oxide films was studied in a 23% Cr white cast iron exposed at 260 °C in 110 g/l caustic soda solutions. It was found that whilst well‐formed octahedral M(II)O.M(III)₂O₃ spinel type oxides initially formed and spread across the surface of the material, these were gradually replaced by a background oxide with a higher Cr/Fe ratio and the morphology of the octahedral crystals became less well formed. Also, the oxidation was found to be predominantly in the matrix material, leaving carbide particles unsupported on the surface and in the later stages, significant corrosion was found along the carbide/matrix phase boundary.     

Investigating the effects of microstructure on the wear mechanisms in lamellar cast irons via microscratch tests

This work investigates the effects of microstructure on the wear mechanisms in lamellar cast irons using a microscratch test. Various applied loads and indenter geometries were utilised. The results indicate that the surface damage depends on the indenter geometry, the penetration depth, the orientation and the depth of the graphite flakes. Increasing the applied load and the attack angle increases the friction coefficient, the tangential force and its fluctuation. Beyond a certain load, the friction coefficient remains nearly constant. The proposed schemes explain the role played by both the matrix and graphite in the wear process.     

超声波法研究F-T合成铁基催化剂机械强度

采用超声波法研究了微颗粒催化剂磨损机械强度及其磨损机制,考察了超声介质、超声功率、固液比和超声时间等对磨耗率的影响,并在相同测试条件下,比较了熔铁催化剂和沉淀铁催化剂磨耗强度。结果表明,熔铁催化剂还原后耐磨强度略降,与此相反,沉淀铁催化剂还原后耐磨强度略有提高。由球磨法得到的熔铁催化剂存在较多微细粉末的粘附与团聚,影响测定结果,但熔铁催化剂的耐磨强度高于沉淀铁催化剂。基于形态和粒度分布的研究表明,超声波作用下熔铁催化剂主要磨损机制为剥层磨损,沉淀铁催化剂为体断裂或破碎机制。