Preparation of spherical cobalt carbonate powder with high tap density

Spherical cobalt carbonate with high tap density, good crystallization and uniform particle size was prepared by controlled chemical crystal method using cobalt chloride and ammonium bicarbonate as cobalt source and precipitator. The effects of pH value and reaction time on crystallization and physical properties of cobalt carbonate were studied. The results show that the key factors influencing the preparation process of spherical cobalt carbonate with high tap density and good crystallization are how to control pH value (7.25 +/- 0.05) and keep some reaction time (about 10 h). Co4O3 was prepared by sintering spherical morphology CoCO3 samples at varied temperatures. The results show that as the decomposition temperature increases, the as-obtained Co4O3 products with porous structure transform into polyhedral structure with glazed surface, and simultaneously the cobalt content and tap density increase. However, the specific surface area shows a trend of decrease.