Insight into the Coprecipitation Process of Ni–Mn–Co Hydroxide Precursors within a CSTR Using a CFD–PBE Model

The coprecipitation process of Ni 0.92 Mn 0.04 Co 0.04 (OH) 2 in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is modeled by using a CFD–PBE approach. The simulation results align with the evolutionary trend of particle size in the precursor under different stirring speeds. Based on the analysis of the simulation data, a three-stage coprecipitation process and its internal mechanism are proposed, where particle evolution and changes in supersaturation within the stirred tank are closely interconnected. Based on the proposed three-stage mechanism, we contend that the impact of stirring speed on the secondary particle size is achieved through its influence on the number of crystal seeds during the early stages of synthesis, which aligns with the particle size results from variable speed synthesis. The simulation revealed that supersaturation within the CSTR begins to rise several hours into the coprecipitation process, a finding consistent with the structural changes of the precursor particles.