Prediction of coating uniformity in batch fluidized-bed coating process

Coating of particulate materials in fluidized beds is a widely used technique to eliminate particle agglomeration,provide slow release of an active substance,or protect active ingredients.When thin polymer shells are applied on a particle surface,it is important to determine the process parameters that provide coating uniformity.In this study,the degree of coverage,defined as the fraction of the coated surface of the particles,is proposed as a quantitative criterion of coating uniformity.A new model for the batch fluidized-bed coating process is presented.The model allows prediction of the function of particle distribution according to the degree of coverage at a given process time and thereby enables assessment of coating uniformity.An algorithm for the numerical solution of model equations for a batch fluidized-bed coater is described.The influences of the main process parameters on the coating uniformity were shown.

Large-scale synthesis of lithium-and manganese-rich materials with uniform thin-film Al2O3 coating for stable cathode cycling

The lithium-and manganese-rich layered oxide(LMR)holds great promise as a cathode material for lithiumion battery(LIB)applications due to its high capacity,high voltage and low cost.Unfortunately,its poor initial Coulombic efficiency(ICE)and unstable electrode/electrolyte interface with continuous growth of the solid electrolyte interphase leads to high impedance and large overpotential.These effects cause severe capacity loss and safety issues.In this work,we have developed a novel approach to fabricate a stable LMR cathode with a uniform thin layer of aluminum oxide(Al2O3)coated on the surface of the LMR particles.This synthesis approach uses the microemulsion method that is environment-friendly,cost-effective and can be easily scaled.Typically,an 8-nm layer of Al2O3 is shown to be effective in stabilizing the electrode/electrolyte interface(enhanced ICE to82.0%and moderate impedance increase over 200 cycles).Moreover,the phase transformation from layered to spinel is inhibited(96.3%average voltage retention)and thermal stability of the structure is significantly increased(heat release reduced by 72.4%).This study opens up a new avenue to address interface issues in LIB cathodes and prompts the practical applications of high capacity and voltage materials for high energy density batteries.

A Model of Spray Tool and a Parameter Optimization Method for Spraying Path Planning

The digital camouflage spraying of special vehicles carried out by robots can greatly improve the spraying efficiency, spraying quality, and rapid adaptability to personalized patterns. The selection of spray tool and the accuracy of the adopted mathematical spray tool model has a great impact on the effectiveness of spray path planning and spraying quality. Since traditional conical spray tool models are not suitable for spraying rectangular digital camouflage, according to the characteristics of digital camouflage, the coating thickness cumulative distribution model of strip nozzle spray tool for 2 D plane spraying and 3 D surface spraying is derived, and its validity is verified by simulation. Based on the accumulation velocity model of the coating thickness(AVCT) on the curved surface and aiming at spraying path planning within the same surface and different surfaces, a path parameter optimization method based on coating uniformity evaluation of adjacent path overlapping area is proposed. Combined with the vehicle surface model, parameters such as path interval, spray tool angle and spray tool motion velocity can be calculated in real-time to ensure uniform coating. Based on the known local three-dimensional model of vehicle surface and the comprehensive spraying simulation, the validity of the purposed models: the coating thickness on the adjacent path area(CTAPA), the coating thickness on the intersection of two surfaces(CTITS), the coating thickness on the intersection of a plane and a surface(CTIPS), and the optimization method of path parameters are verified. The results show that compared with the traditional spray tool, the strip nozzle can better ensure the uniformity of the coating thickness of digital camouflage spray. Finally, according to a practical spraying experiment, the results prove that the proposed models not only are effective but also meet the practical industrial requirements and are of great practical value.