Factors affecting graphite as a negative electrode for high quality lithium ion batteries

Analysts at JPMorgan recommended selling or "underweight" emerging market local currency sovereign debt because of the global impact of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

JPMorgan estimated that fixed-income assets in emerging markets have lost 6-9 percent of their value since Russia invaded Ukraine a month ago, with nervousness about the war and its impact on global energy and food prices adding to existing pressures.

Some leading emerging market central banks are signaling that interest rates now need to rise faster than previously expected, which fuels fears of "stagflation". Stagflation means when high inflation and higher interest rates undermine economic growth.  

With both the U.S. Federal Reserve and emerging market central banks raising interest rates, JPMorgan also said it made sense to "underweight" emerging market assets by taking advantage of the recent pullback in local currency bond yields relative to TREASURIES.  

JPMorgan said major metals exporters such as South Africa, Chile, and Peru could still do well, but warned that emerging market fixed income assets now faced a more "stagflationary" trajectory.

The markets and prices of many commodities, metals, chemicals like the graphite anode still face uncertainty.

Graphite anode material is the main raw material of lithium ion battery anode sheet. Due to its rough processing technology, late start and industry specificity, the product is prone to quality problems such as fiber foreign matter and fine powder. The influencing factors, failure modes and control methods of these two quality problems are explained one by one below.

Powder

The proportion of fine powder of graphite anode also seriously affects the processing technology of the battery factory. When the fine powder in the graphite negative electrode is higher than a certain ratio, the appearance of the produced negative electrode sheet may also have many small particles and scratches, resulting in the scrapping of the negative electrode sheet.

The fine powder level of the graphite negative electrode is closely related to the process before graphitization and graphitization, and the fine powder that has been produced can be screened by a jet pulverization grading system.

After the graphitization, the powder collides in the airflow device, and the collided powder becomes smaller. Under a certain airflow, the fine powder is blown out of the device and enters the fine powder collecting device, and the airflow through the adjusting device can be different. The graphite negative electrode of the particle size is sorted out, and the powder in the fine powder collecting device is removed, thereby obtaining a graphite negative electrode product whose fine powder level satisfies the customer's demand.

Fiber foreign matter

The metal foreign matter in the graphite anode powder and other visible foreign objects have been widely concerned. The anode manufacturing industry also controls the foreign matter in different stages of the manufacturing process according to the characteristics of foreign materials.

However, fiber foreign matter is a foreign object that is easily overlooked by everyone, and its influence on battery safety performance is increasing. When the amount of fibrous foreign matter reaches a certain level or accumulates in the powder, the appearance of the negative electrode sheet after coating is uneven, and electron beam and elemental analysis are performed on the uneven spots, and it is confirmed that the composition of the uneven spots is fiber.

The concave and convex points were observed under a microscope, and it was found that the fibrous foreign matter occupied the position of the negative electrode powder, and the amount of the negative electrode coating in this portion was reduced, thereby causing a lithium-inducing problem in the charging and discharging process of the battery, causing the explosion of the lithium ion battery.

Therefore, the quality control of fiber foreign matter is imperative. By testing the powders in each process, it was found that the negative electrode powder packaging bags used in each process were the main source of fibrous foreign materials.

Since the temperature of graphitization is high, the fiber can be carbonized, and the carbonized fiber can be turned into fine slag through the vibrating screen, and is present in the powder in the form of powder, which does not cause appearance quality problems on the pole piece, so The control of the fibrous material mainly manages the process after the graphitization.

After the graphitization process, a ton bag of fiber material is used in the turnover of the graphite negative electrode, which will rub with the equipment during transportation and feeding, thereby causing the fiber to fall off, and after the fiber is detached, it is easy to and the graphite negative electrode powder. The flow is transferred to the sieving process, and the fibers are sprinkled into the powder through the mesh of the screen after the powder is shaken for several hours on the screen of the vibrating screen.

To control the amount of fiber, firstly protect the foreign material of the ton bag of fiber material, add a layer of plastic bag protection in the ton bag, or replace the ton bag with a plastic bucket. At the feeding port, a large-diameter screen is added to intercept the large bundle of fiber ropes, and the inlet of the feeding equipment is cuffed to prevent the equipment from scratching the bag and causing fiber problems.

Russia is a major supplier of industrial metals such as nickel, aluminium and palladium. Russia and Ukraine are both major wheat exporters, and Russia and Belarus produce large amounts of potash, an input to fertiliser. The price and market of the graphite anode will fluctuate under its influence. Prices of these goods have been rising since 2022 and are now likely to rise further because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia is a major supplier of industrial metals such as nickel, aluminium and palladium. Russia and Ukraine are both major wheat exporters, and Russia and Belarus produce large amounts of potash, an input to fertiliser. The price and market of the graphite anode will fluctuate under its influence. Prices of these goods have been rising since 2022 and are now likely to rise further because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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