Lithium Iron(II) Phospho-olivines Prepared by a Novel Carbothermal Reduction Method

The electroactive materials and have been synthesized by a novel carbothermal reduction (CTR) method. The transition metal reduction and lithium incorporation processes are each facilitated by the high temperature carbothermal reaction based on the transition. These CTR conditions favor stabilization of the iron as as well as offering some control of the product morphology and conductivity. Electrochemical evaluation of the CTR reveals a lithium insertion plateau around 3.4 V vs. Li together with a specific capacity of over 150 mAh/g. Differential capacity data confirm the two-phase nature of the insertion reactions as well as the outstanding ionic reversibility. Few technical obstacles have been encountered in scaling the CTR process from a laboratory process to that required for pilot production. © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.