Electrification efforts continue to drive demand for high-performance batteries in applications like electric vehicles (EVs), grid storage solutions, and portable electronics. Each of these is built on a foundation of high-purity, battery-grade metals (i.e. lithium, cobalt, and nickel). Yet, the pipeline from raw ore or brine to battery-ready powder isn’t simple. It involves a series of carefully controlled steps–including drying, which is key to ensuring the final product’s purity, stability, and performance.
At this pivotal stage, tray dryers – particularly advanced vacuum tray dryers like those developed by Powder Systems Ltd (PSL) – offer a distinct advantage in terms of developing ultra-pure, moisture-free precious metals for battery-grade applications.
Understanding Modern Demand for Precious Metals
Global battery demand is led by EVs, expected to exceed 20 million units by 2025. Each vehicle requires kilograms of lithium, cobalt, and nickel; minerals now considered strategic commodities. Grid energy storage and portable electronics further compound demand.
- Lithium: The irreplaceable ion shuttle in lithium-ion batteries.
- Cobalt: Enhances battery stability and lifespan.
- Nickel: Enables high energy density in next-generation cathodes.
Meeting this demand requires not just mining these metals but refining them to exacting standards. Battery-grade materials must be ultra-pure, moisture-free, and structurally sound; conditions heavily influenced by how they’re dried.
How Does Drying Affect Battery Material Quality?
After extraction and purification, battery metals are typically precipitated or crystallised into solid forms. These solids, often appearing as wet filter cakes, must undergo drying to reach battery-grade standards. Drying is far more than a moisture removal step; it is a critical phase where the final chemical and physical properties of the material are locked in.
Why drying precious metals matters:
Purity Control: Post-precipitation, traces of mother liquor and residual solvents can remain within the material. These can introduce unwanted ions (e.g., chlorides, sulfates) that negatively affect battery chemistry. Effective drying enables these residues to be removed, preserving the chemical integrity of the final product.
Moisture Minimisation: Water content above 1000 ppm is not just undesirable but potentially damaging. Moisture can react with lithium salts to form HF (hydrofluoric acid) in the presence of standard electrolytes, compromising safety and accelerating cell degradation. Thus, drying processes often aim for ultra-low moisture targets, sometimes as low as 200–300 ppm.
Chemical Integrity: Many battery precursors are sensitive to heat and atmospheric gases. For example, lithium hydroxide monohydrate can decompose or react with CO₂ during drying, forming lithium carbonate, which is a contaminant in some cathode chemistries. Controlled drying, ideally under vacuum or inert atmosphere, is essential to preserve the target phase and crystal morphology. Aggressive or uneven drying can also lead to unwanted phase transitions or create inconsistencies in particle size distribution.
In essence, drying ensures that materials meet key sector-specific requirements. A poorly dried batch may fall out of tolerance for critical parameters, making it unsuitable for downstream electrode fabrication. Ensuring precision at this step is fundamental to delivering high-performance, safe, and long-lasting battery cells.
Tray Dryers: From Pharmaceuticals to Batteries
Tray dryers have been a staple in pharmaceutical processing for decades, prized for their controlled drying. PSL’s vacuum tray dryers, like the CakeStand™, bring these same benefits to battery material production:
- Vacuum Environment: Reduces drying temperature, preventing degradation.
- Uniform Heating: Heated shelves provide consistent thermal profiles across all trays.
- Contamination Control: Closed systems prevent oxidation and airborne contamination.
- Scalability: Modular design allows easy scaling from lab to full production.
- Energy Efficiency: Targeted heating minimises energy waste.
Real-World Applications and Impact
From lithium hydroxide to NMC precursors, tray dryers ensure:
- Consistent Batch Quality: Critical for large-scale battery cell production.
- Higher Yields: Minimal product loss or degradation.
- Regulatory-Ready Equipment: Pharma-grade containment and documentation.
- Future-Proof Scalability: Easily scale with rising demand without re-engineering the process.
In effect, tray dryers help battery material producers deliver materials that meet the tight specs demanded by today’s manufacturing pipelines, from R&D labs to gigafactories.
Drying with Precision, Powering the Future
Drying might be one of the last steps in the production of battery-grade materials, but it’s also one of the most decisive. The success of a battery can hinge on how well its raw materials were handled in this critical phase. PSL’s vacuum tray dryers offer a proven, pharma-grade solution tailored for this challenge, delivering unmatched control, quality, and safety.
Whether you’re scaling up cathode production, refining lithium hydroxide, or developing next-generation battery chemistries, Powder Systems Limited can support your journey. Contact us today to learn how our tray drying solutions can elevate your battery material processes.
