(Invited) Engineered Electrode Materials Via Dry Processing

Abstract

Dry bulk processing methods can offer surprising control of particle shape, size, internal composition, and surface morphology. Mechanofusion is a method that can be used to smooth, spheronize, coat, and embed particles [1–4]. Dry particle microgranulation (DPMG) is a newly developed mechanofusion method in which ~50 μm speres are added to the process as "templating" media [5]. Here it will be shown that DPMG and new applications of mechanofusion offer unprecedented control in particle shape, internal porosity, and internal composition variation, enabling the creation of never before possible highly engineered particles, including: consolidating submicron particles into dense and uniform ~10 μm particles that are spherical or tetrahedral in shapespontaneous formation of core/shell particles from a mixture of submicron particles with different compositionscreating spherical graphite particles from fine flake graphiteembedding nanoparticles within the core of ~10 μm host particlesapplying fused dense oxide particle coatingssmoothing the surface of polycrystalline particles to lower their surface area Such methods can produce no waste and operate at 100 % yields, greatly reducing environmental impact and cost compared to other commercial particle production methods. This offers tremendous opportunity for creating sustainable advanced battery materials. Examples of new cathode and anode materials synthesized by these methods and opportunities for new materials will be discussed.