Mechanism of LiFePO4 solid-phase synthesis using iron (II) oxalate and ammonium dihydrophosphate as precursors

An experimental study of the thermolysis mechanism of FeC₂O₄, NH₄H₂PO₄, Li₂CO₃, and citric acid from the viewpoint of the usage of a mixture of these compounds in lithium power engineering for the solid-state synthesis of LiFePO₄ and its composite with carbon LiFePO₄/C as well as comparison of experimental data with thermodynamic calculations were made in the temperature range from 25 up to 1,000 °C. The oxides Fe₃O₄, Fe₂O₃, and FeO were detected as the intermediate products of thermolysis of ferrous oxalate in these conditions. Various paths of oxalate decomposition may well proceed concurrently with the predomination of this or that path under slight changes in the experimental conditions. The formation of orthorhombic lithium phosphate Li₃PO₄ is detected just in a blend grinded at room temperature, and Li₃PO₄ and NH₄PO₃ are the basis of triphylite synthesis at increased temperatures (up to 800 °C). A new phase of single-substituted anhydrous lithium citrate C₆H₇O₇Li is formed at room temperature if citric acid C₆H₈O₇?H₂O is used as an organic precursor. The thermal treatment, at which citric acid can form a carbon coating with a maximum conductivity, was estimated experimentally. To identify the products of chemical reactions, structural characterization, and comparative analysis of samples synthesized at several temperatures, a set of techniques was used, namely TG with gas release analysis, Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, surface microanalysis, laser diffraction analyses. Galvanostatic cycling was used to study the electrochemical properties of the LiFePO₄/C electrode material.