I am Axel Weiand, your expert for powders and advanced materials, especially battery materials, here at ONEJOON.
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In addition to costs and production capacity in the smallest possible space, product quality is also one of the success factors for cathode powder manufacturers.
This is because, for the same price, battery manufacturers naturally prefer materials with higher energy density, for example. This can be achieved by the best possible utilization of thermodynamic influences on the calcination and sintering processes.
In the ONEJOON battery pusher kiln, the processes can be significantly optimized at the necessary temperatures of up to 800 °C through optimal, permanent heat supply, reliable exhaust gas removal in the calcination process, and remarkable temperature homogeneity in the sintering process.
In all these aspects, the battery pusher kiln offers clear conceptual advantages. While in the roller kiln heat can be supplied only from above and below, in the ONEJOON solution heat is also supplied vertically from the sides.
In combination with the push-feed technology, considerably higher and heavier superstructures and product carriers (saggars) can be fed through the furnace, and significantly more cathode material can be produced. The product is heated homogeneously in each saggar with only minimal temperature deviations (+/- 2 °C), and the calcination reactions start without any time delay. The plant operator benefits from extremely homogeneous heat treatment with very high throughput and best product quality.
Further advantages are savings in process gases, energy and floor space. In conventional heat treatment plants, large quantities of specialty gases such as oxygen are consumed, although from a chemical point of view only a small proportion of these are actually needed. Through innovation and effective use of gases, gas savings of up to 27 percent and energy savings of up to 25 percent are possible with the ONEJOON battery pusher furnace. The vertical design with higher superstructures enables optimal utilization of every square meter of floor space.
A key product is the electrical heated gas-tight Roller Hearth Kiln with pneumatic air-lock systems and an indirect cooling zone to be able to run under oxygen atmosphere for production of Cathode Active Material (CAM) with higher Nickel content like NCM622, NCM811 and NCA which will be used in EV Lithium-Ion Batteries.
We have a huge number of references in Korea and China for this kind of products and processes using both, hydroxide- or carbonate-based lithium source.
ONEJOON Roller Hearth KilnThe calcination process of Cathode Active Material (CAM) is carried out in powdery form. The material mixture of NCM or NCA pre-curser and lithium powder source (hydroxide or carbonate) will be normally filled into a prismatic ceramic saggar which finally is the transportation vehicle of the powder through the kiln. In the Roller Hearth Kiln the transport is been done by driven ceramic rollers, in the Pusher Kiln by a pusher machine, pushing the pusher plates with saggar stacks on a cerasmic track through the kiln.
After the saggars are leaving the kiln, they will be emptied by dumping off the material and guided back to the filling station to be used for the next filling and firing cycle. is done by the automatic Return Conveyor System.
Normally there is one Return Conveyor System for each kiln. But it is also possible to use one extended Return Conveyor System for two or more kilns. Even combined Return Conveyor Systems for different kiln systems or a Conveyor and Saggar Handling System with centralised filling system and dumping system for all kilns of the production area is possible.
The transportation of the saggars is done by driven stainless steel shafts with ceramic rings. The Return Conveyor System is encased by a housing to be able to protect the fresh calcinated products by a special carbon-free and/or dehumidified air, oxygen/air mixture or pure oxygen atmosphere. The housing is also used as protection to avoid bigger amounts of CAM powder getting into the production hall. The area of Return Conveyor directly behind the kiln outlet is also used as an extension of the cooling zone.
The Saggar Handling System (SHS) or Powder Handling System is integrated in the Return Conveyor System. It is generally consisting of following systems and units:
The configuration and design of the Saggar Handling System and the position of the systems and units within the Return Conveyor System is individual and customised, which will be defined together with the customer in the engineering phase.
It is our big strength that we are able to engineer, design and manufacture the whole CAM powder process line starting from mixing the raw materials to packing into big bags next to our core business of manufacturing Kilns with Return Conveyor Systems and Saggar Handling respectively Powder Handling Systems.
This capability is unique for a battery kiln manufacturer and assures the optimal integration of the kiln system into the whole powder process line.
We have various references for engineering, manufacturing and installation of whole NCM622 and NCM811 one- and two-firing CAM powder production lines in Korea and China and a reference for basic engineering & conceptional design of a full NCM622 line in Europe.
Example for equipment, machinery and systems for an NCM622 two-firing powder process lineOur team of engineers in Germany has a profound expertise in the design, manufacturing and operation of Rotary Drum Kilns. With a proven track record in middle and large scale rotary furnaces, we are happy to discuss any applications of the rotary furnace in the battery material manufacturing, from low temperature drying or calcination up to high temperature graphitization. As we have the possibility to run tests with a test Rotary Drum Kiln in our Test-Center in Bovenden, Germany, we want to motivate and invite you to contact us to start the discussion about using this kind of application for your process.
ONEJOON Rotary Kiln for pCAM and Annealing (LiB)More than 50 % of our employees are highly educated and experienced engineers and experts. Most of them are working for our company for more than 10 years.
Over decades we are well known for our strength to develop new processes and kiln systems to fulfil new product requirements for our customers. This strength is mainly based on knowledge and experience of our process & kiln system experts, the R&D department and Test-Center personnel in Germany. These activities are supported by our product management team doing CFD-simulations and execution of testing programs.
In our Test-Center we have different batch or continuous kilns which can be modified in design and functionality to meet the needed process conditions and requirements.
Since 2008, we have been continuously working on the further development and improvement of the furnaces and the production process for the manufacture of cathode active material.
