Influences of Sintering Process of Sprayed Precursors on the Structure and Electrochemical Properties of LiMn2O4 Cathode Material

Well-defined spinel LiMn2O4 powders were synthesized via sintering a precursor, which was prepared by spray-drying method. The effects of sintering process on the structure and electrochemical properties of LiMn2O4 were discussed. It was found that a single sintering could not synthesize a pure LiMn2O4 compound, while two-step sintering procedure consisting of decomposing sprayed precursors at 350℃ and further sintering at an elevated temperature leads to the formation of a single-phased LiMn2O4 with homogeneous particle size distribution. As compared to that sintered in air, the two-step sintered LiMn2O4 in oxygen shows tighter structure and more uniform particle size, as well as better electrochemical properties. It delivers an initial discharge capacity of 131 mAh·g-1 (1/10C), and still has excellent cycling stability at higher rate (1/5C).