LiFePO4 synthesized via melt synthesis using low-cost iron precursors

LiFePO4/C material has been prepared using fast-melt synthesis method followed by grinding and carbon coating. The low-cost iron ore concentrate (IOC) and purified iron ore concentrate (IOP) were used as iron precursors in the melt process to reduce significantly the cost of LiFePO4/C. The same product was also synthesized using pure Fe2O3 under similar conditions as reference. The physical-chemical and electrochemical properties of samples were investigated. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results confirm the formation of an olivine structure of LiFePO4 with a minor amount of Li3PO4 and Li4P2O7 impurities for all the samples but no Fe2P. The power performances of LiFePO4/C using low-cost iron precursors were close to the sample using pure Fe2O3 precursor although capacity in mAh g−1 is somewhat lower. With the inherent presence of silicon and other metals species, multi-substitution may take place when using IOC as source of iron leading to a Li(Fe1-yMy)(P1-xSix)O4 general composition. Multi-substitution, however, allows a better cycling stability. Therefore, these iron precursors present a promising option in this field to reduce the cost of a large-scale synthesis of LiFePO4/C for Li-ion batteries application.