JP2003121078A - Power and grain continuous processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder and grain continuous processing device efficiently sintering lithium composite metal oxide, etc. SOLUTION: Cylindrical setters 1 are disposed at equal intervals with their axial directions set in parallel to each other, unprocessed powder materials are mounted on the setter group formed by disposing the setters 1 on the dispositions, and carried to the processing device. When retainer mounts 2 retaining multiple setters 1 are linked and carried, it facilitates the handling of the setters 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuously treating powder or granules, which continuously conveys an object to be treated, which is a powder or granules, to a process such as heat treatment or drying, and treats it. It is suitable for heat-treating powder such as lithium nickel oxide used as a positive electrode active material of a secondary battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in order to continuously heat or dry an object to be processed which is a powder or granules, the object to be processed is spread on a belt conveyor, and the belt conveyor passes through a processing apparatus. The thing which performs a required process by carrying out like this is widely used. Further, there is also known a configuration in which powder or granules are contained in a container and the container is continuously passed through the processing device to perform a required process. However, when the object to be treated is corrosive, the conveyor type conveying means such as the belt conveyor cannot be used. Further, the material of the container is also limited. As an example of treating such corrosive powder or granules at a high temperature, a conventional technique for thermally synthesizing a positive electrode active material of a lithium ion secondary battery will be shown below.

Lithium-ion secondary batteries are used as power sources for portable devices and the like due to their high energy density despite being a new battery system, and have reached the largest market among various batteries. . As a positive electrode active material of this lithium ion secondary battery, lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO ₂ ), lithium nickel oxide (LiNi
O ₂ ), lithium manganate (LiMn ₂ O ₄ ) and other lithium composite metal oxides are known. Lithium ion secondary batteries using lithium cobalt oxide as the positive electrode active material have already been commercialized, but problems such as high cost and many variable factors due to uneven distribution of resources have become problems. There is. It is desired to form a positive electrode active material using a metal that has abundant resources and is inexpensive, and lithium nickel oxide is a promising candidate. It is known that lithium nickel oxide is lower in cost and higher in capacity than lithium cobalt oxide, but synthesis of lithium nickel oxide has a difficult problem as compared with lithium cobalt oxide.

As a method for producing lithium nickelate, for example, JP-A-8-185861 discloses that a mixture of a lithium compound and a nickel compound is 600 to 900.
A technique is disclosed in which primary calcination is performed at a temperature of ° C, pulverization is performed, and then secondary calcination is performed at a temperature lower than primary calcination in an oxygen-existing atmosphere.

When firing such a powder or granular material to be fired, the material to be fired is housed in a ceramic box setter having lithium corrosion resistance in order to convey the material to be fired to a firing furnace. The method is known. In addition, JP-A-9-
Japanese Patent No. 259881 discloses a method in which an easily decomposable lithium compound and an easily decomposable nickel compound are mixed and placed in a container made of nickel and fired. Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-152327, when firing a raw material compound containing a nickel raw material compound and a lithium raw material compound, stainless steel or nickel containing a furnace material in a firing furnace in contact with the raw material compound or an object to be fired. There is disclosed a manufacturing method for coating the surface of a container made of silver with silver.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the lithium composite metal oxide firing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-203947 has a tubular setter 10 made of ceramics.
1a is arranged in parallel in the transport direction, and a tubular small-diameter setter 101b having a small diameter is placed between the arrays. By placing a powder or granular material to be burned on the setter 101a and the small-diameter setter 101b and passing the powdery or granular material through the inside of the firing furnace by the conveying means, the material to be fired can be continuously fired.

[0007]

The container for storing the material to be fired for synthesizing lithium nickelate must have lithium corrosion resistance. In the case of a ceramic box setter, high purity alumina is used as the ceramic material. Alumina containing ZrO ₂ or the like is suitable. But,
When a box-shaped setter made of dense ceramics is used, it is more susceptible to thermal shock than metal, and cracks and cracks occur when subjected to a sudden temperature change. Therefore, when the object to be fired is housed in the box-shaped setter made of ceramics and fired, it is necessary to keep the rate of temperature rise and rate of temperature fall during firing low. Moreover, when a box-shaped setter made of porous ceramics is used, the thermal shock resistance is slightly improved as compared with the dense one, but the mechanical strength is reduced and lithium penetrates into the material, which makes it less practical. It was a thing.

Oxygen is indispensable for synthesizing lithium nickelate, and when a bulky object to be burned is contained in a box-type setter and baked, oxygen is contained in the article to be baked stored in the lower part of the box-type setter. Supply is insufficient and a uniform synthetic state cannot be obtained. Therefore, there is a problem that the box-type setter cannot store a material to be fired corresponding to its volume, and productivity is lowered.

When the object to be fired is placed in a nickel vessel and fired, there is no problem in terms of thermal shock resistance, but if it is exposed to an oxygen atmosphere for a long time, the nickel vessel will be There was a problem that the surface was oxidized and nickel oxide was peeled off from the surface by repeated use and mixed into the object to be burned as an impurity, so that the container had to be frequently renewed. If the object to be fired is placed in a container whose surface is coated with silver such as stainless steel or nickel and fired, the problem of impurities being mixed in because nickel oxide is not generated is solved, but the cost of the container is reduced. It becomes very expensive and impractical from the viewpoint of production cost.

The arrangement of the tubular setter 101a and the small-diameter setter 101b has good thermal efficiency, uniform heating, and has the effect of improving productivity by continuous processing, but the lower setter 101a and the small-diameter setter 10 are effective.
Since the angle of the tangent line with 1b is close to the vertical direction, there is a problem that the powder placed on the setter 101a and the small-diameter setter 101b spills downward even if a small amount of rattling occurs.

The object of the present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and is a powdery or granular material for continuously transferring a powdery or granular material to be processed to a firing furnace or the like for processing. It is to provide a continuous processing device.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to the present invention has a large number of cylindrical setters whose axial center directions are parallel to each other in the conveying direction. The lower row setters arranged at intervals, and the upper row of the lower row setters, with the setters formed in a tubular shape between the setters of the lower row setters so that their axes are above the upper ends of the lower row setters. A setter and a setter group including the setter are arranged on a conveying path that passes through the inside of the processing apparatus, and a powder or granular object to be processed is placed on the setter group from the vicinity of the start point of the conveying path, and the setter group is a conveying means. Is continuously conveyed to the processing apparatus, and is passed through the processing apparatus to process the object to be processed.

According to the above structure, since the setter group in which the upper row setter is placed on the lower row setter in which a large number of setters are arranged in the carrying direction is carried by the carrying means, the setter group is located above the setter group from the start point of the carrying path. When a powder or granular object to be processed is placed on the object, the object to be processed is transported along with the movement of the setter group, and can be continuously carried into the processing device installed in the transport path. When the upper row setters are placed on the lower row setters in which the cylindrical setters are arranged at equal intervals so that the axis center of each setter is higher than the upper end of the lower row setter, the axis center of each setter is parallel. As a result, the upper and lower setters come into contact with each other on the peripheral surface, and the powder does not spill down.

In the above arrangement, an aligning means for arranging the setters at the starting point position of the conveying path and aligning them with the setter group,
By disposing the setter group in an aligned state at the end point of the transport path and collecting means for taking out the placed objects to be processed, it is possible to circulate the individual setters on the transport path. The damaged setter can be replaced at any time.

Further, the collecting means comprises a setter driving means for moving and rotating at least the upper row setter from the setter group, so that the non-processed object placed on the setter group is moved and rotated by the upper row setter. Thus, it can be collected by dropping it downward from between the arrangements of the lower row setters.

Further, by arranging a holding table for holding a predetermined number of lower row setters continuously in the carrying direction,
By transferring the holding table, the setter group can be transferred,
The setter can be moved easily.

Further, the powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus is installed in parallel, and the transfer means for transferring the setters transported to the end point of the transport path to the start point of the transport path of the other apparatus is provided. The simultaneous processing of the powdery or granular material continuous processing devices installed in parallel can be performed at the same time, and at the same time, the setters can be circulated between them for efficient processing.

Further, the transfer means transfers the setters in units of the holding table, so that the transfer efficiency is good and the assembling into the setter group becomes easy.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.
The embodiments described below are examples of embodying the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

The present embodiment shows a powdery or granular continuous treatment apparatus used for firing a lithium composite metal oxide which is a material of a positive electrode active material of a lithium ion secondary battery.
As shown in FIG. 3, the ceramic setters 1 formed in a cylindrical shape are arranged in a two-tier stack in the transport direction with their axis directions parallel to each other, and the powder to be burned is placed on the setters 1 and continuously by the transport means. Then, the material to be fired is conveyed to a firing furnace and fired.

FIG. 2 shows the structure of the powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. Two sets of baking apparatuses 10 and 11 are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and the baking processing of the article to be baked is performed by both apparatuses. Is performed simultaneously, and the setter 1 can be circulated between both devices. Each firing device 1
Nos. 0 and 11 are provided with a firing furnace 14 and a carrier rail 13 for continuously feeding a setter group therein, and a predetermined number of setters 1 are mounted on the carrier rail 13 as shown in FIG. The holding bases 2 are continuously arranged.

Recesses 2a for holding a predetermined number of setters 1 with their axial directions parallel to each other are equidistantly arranged on the holding table 2 at equal intervals, and evenly spaced between adjacent holding tables 2. The lower row of setters 1 are placed in the recesses 2a, and the upper row of setters 1 are placed between the lower row of setters 1. At this time, as shown in the figure, the axis c of the setters 1 in the upper row is located above the upper end u of the setters 1 in the lower row, that is, the arrangement interval of the setters 1 in the lower row, that is, the recesses on the holding table 2. The formation interval of 2a is set. By arranging such that the position of the axis c of the setters 1 in the upper row is above the upper end u of the setters 1 in the lower row, even if the powder is placed on the arrangement of the setters 1, A state that does not spill down is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 4, the holding table 2 is conveyed so that the pair of right and left are located at the same position in the conveying direction in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. Holding table 2 with setter 1
As shown in FIG. 3, the lower row of setters 1 are arranged so as to be in close contact with each other and straddle the adjacent holding bases 2.
Since the intermediate setter 1a (indicated by slanting lines) is placed between them, a state in which the setters 1 are arranged at equal intervals in the lower row and the upper row can be obtained.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the firing furnace 14. A pair of holders 2, 2 are mounted on the transfer rails 13, 13 running on both sides of the furnace, and the setter 1 is mounted thereon. .
The material L to be fired is placed on the setter 1 outside the furnace and is conveyed into the furnace so that it is heated by the upper and lower heaters 18 arranged in a line inside the furnace, and the inside of the furnace having a predetermined length is heated at a predetermined speed. The object to be fired L is fired while moving.

As shown in FIG. 2, the material to be fired L is continuously supplied from the hopper 8 arranged on the starting point side of the transport rail 13 so as to spread in the longitudinal direction of the setter 1 as shown in FIG. It Since the holding table 2 is fed at a predetermined speed by a driving means (not shown), the setter 1 to which the material to be fired L is supplied enters the firing furnace 14 and comes out to the other end side with respect to the material to be fired L. Baking is done. Many setters 1
To be fired on a wide area where the
Is placed and heated from above and below, so that a uniform heating state can be obtained in each part of the material to be fired L placed on the setter 1. When the material to be fired L is, for example, a raw material compound for synthesizing lithium nickelate, oxygen is required for the synthesis reaction, but since the material to be fired L is placed in a substantially uniform thickness, Oxygen is supplied to each part to achieve uniform synthesis. Further, the firing state can be adjusted by setting the heating temperature by the heater 18 and the transport speed of the holding table 2, and the firing corresponding to the type of the material to be fired L can be performed.

The material to be fired L which has been fired through the firing furnace 14 is taken out from the setter 1 by the take-out device (collection means) 9. The take-out device 9 rotates the setters 1 in the upper row and moves the setters 1 upward so that the material to be fired L on the setter 1 falls from between the setters 1 in the lower row, and is arranged below the take-out devices 9. The fired product L can be taken out from the container, which has been placed in a container (not shown) that has been fired. The rotation or movement of the setter 1 by the take-out device 9 can be performed by inserting a shaft body into both ends of the setter 1 into its hollow portion and rotating or moving the shaft body.

After the material L to be fired is removed from the setter 1, the transfer table 12 is used to move the adjacent holders 2 as shown in FIG. The intermediate setter 1a spanning between is removed,
The holding table 2 on which a plurality of setters 1 are placed and the removed intermediate setter 1a are lowered by the elevating and conveying device (transfer means) 16 on the left side and raised on the right side in FIG. , 11 and is supplied to the transport rail 13 by the assembling device (aligning means) 15. The supply to the transfer rail 13 is performed by setting the support base 2 on the transfer rail 13 and then holding the support base 2 adjacent to the intermediate setter 1a.
It is placed in a position that spans between. In this way, the holding table 2 on which the intermediate setter 1a and the setter group are mounted is circulated and conveyed between the two sets of firing devices 10 and 11, so that firing processing can be continuously performed with a small installation area.

The two sets of firing devices 10 and 11 may be arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, and the holding table 2 may be horizontally conveyed and circulated between them, but the installation area is increased. Therefore, it is preferable to arrange them side by side in parallel as in the configuration of this embodiment.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, it may be constituted by a single baking device. In this powdery particle continuous calcination device, setters 1 are arranged in two layers on a belt conveyor 20 to form a setter group, and a product L to be burned is set on the setter group.
And the setter group is conveyed into the firing furnace 14 by driving the belt conveyor 20. After the baking target L is baked through the baking furnace 14, the setter 1 is taken out on the recovery table 22, and the baking target L placed on the setter 1 at that time is recovered by disassembling the setter group. It is dropped and collected in the table 22. The setters 1 taken out on the collecting table 22 are returned to the aligning table 21, arranged on the belt conveyor 20 again, and the articles L to be fired are placed and circulated for firing.

The setter 1 used in the above embodiment is preferably one having corrosion resistance to lithium in a firing temperature range of 600 to 900 ° C. when the article L to be fired is a lithium composite metal oxide. For example, alumina (Al
₂ O ₃ ), magnesia (MgO), zirconia (ZrO
₂ ), beryllia (BeO), etc. can be used. In particular, high-purity alumina and alumina containing zirconia are preferable because they have excellent corrosion resistance to lithium.

Since the above embodiment is applied to the firing of lithium composite metal oxide, the setter 1 uses ceramics as its material so as to cope with high temperatures, but the treatment temperature should be 500 ° C. or less. If made of metal,
If the temperature is lower, the resin can be used in the same manner.

In the above embodiment, the setter 1 is a cylindrical one, but the setter 1 is not limited to this and may be a polygonal cylinder such as a hexagonal cylinder or an octagonal cylinder.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, cylindrical setters are arranged in a two-tier stack in the transport direction, and a non-processed material such as powder or granules is placed and transported to the treatment device. Since it can be processed, it is easy to put in and take out the powder or granules, and it is possible to put the powder or granules in a wide area with a uniform thickness, and the processing is even and efficient. Is possible. The material of the setter can be selected according to the processing content.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a setter according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an arrangement diagram showing a configuration of a powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which setters are arranged on a holding table.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a transportation state in a firing furnace.

FIG. 5 is a layout view showing another aspect of the powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a configuration of a main part of a powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1a setter 2 holding table 10,11 Baking device 12 Transfer device 13 Transport rail (transport path) 14 Baking furnace (processing equipment) 15 Assembly device (alignment means) 16 Lifting / conveying device (transfer means)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Shinji Arimoto             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3L113 AA03 AB06 AC08 AC36 BA01                       DA04                 4K050 AA02 BA07 CG29                 4K055 AA08 HA02 HA12 HA19 HA29                 5H050 AA19 BA17 CA08 FA17 GA02                       GA29 HA12

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A lower row setter in which a large number of cylindrical setters are arranged at equal intervals in the transport direction with their axis directions parallel to each other, and a cylindrical shape is formed between each setter of the lower row setters. The setter is arranged on the conveying path passing through the inside of the processing device, and a setter group having an upper row setter placed with its axis above the upper end of the lower row setter is arranged on the conveying path. Place the object to be treated, which is a powder or granule, on the setter group from the vicinity of the starting point, continuously convey this setter group to the processing device by the conveying means, and pass the inside of the processing device to process the object to be treated. An apparatus for continuously treating powder and granules. 2. An aligning means for arranging the setters at the start point position of the transport path to align them with the setter group, and an aligning means of the setter group at the end point position of the transport path to remove the placed object to be collected. Means and means are provided.
The continuous processing apparatus for powdery or granular material. 3. The powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the collecting means comprises a setter driving means for moving and rotating at least the upper row setter from the setter group. 4. The powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a holding table for holding a predetermined number of lower row setters is continuously arranged in the transport direction. 5. The powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus is installed in parallel, and is provided with transfer means for transferring the setters transported to the end point of the transport path to the start point of the transport path of the other apparatus. The powdery or granular material continuous processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The powdery or granular material continuous processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer means transfers the setter in units of a holding table.