Engineered Particle Synthesis by Dry Particle Microgranulation

Abstract

Summary: Uniform ∼10-μm particles are important in several applications, including the metal oxide and graphite active materials in Li-ion batteries. Current production methods (e.g., co-precipitation and spheronization) can be wasteful and have limited composition scope. Here, we report dry particle microgranulation (DPMG) as a method for synthesizing highly engineered particles by consolidating fine, even submicron particles into particles that are tens of microns. DPMG enables the precise control of particle internal composition variation, shape, and morphology that is not possible by previous methods and at near 100% yields with no waste. Using this method, we show that Li-ion battery graphite and metal oxide particles, including those with designed internal composition variation, can be made at 100% yield with little waste. We believe that DPMG could be used in many fields to reduce the cost and environmental impact of particle synthesis and to enable the synthesis in bulk of new, highly engineered particles.

Keywords

• granulation
• microgranulation
• particle engineering
• particle synthesis
• core-shell particles
• spheronization