Synthesizing low-cost, high-corrosion-resistant refractory kiln furniture for the calcination of Li-ion battery cathode materials

In recent years, the rapid development of the ternary Li-ion battery cathode Li(NixCoyMnz)O2 (LNCM) materials industry has resulted in increased demand for refractory kiln furniture (saggars). To reduce the production cost of the saggars and improve their anti-corrosion performance, mullite-zirconia materials were synthesized from zircon-containing kyanite tailings. This study examines the potential of the materials as saggars in the preparation of the LNCM materials based on two aspects—the material's physical properties and its resistance to the corrosion of LNCM materials. The results show that mullite-zirconia composites can be successfully synthesized at 1500–1600 °C, and the physical properties of the materials meet the needs of production. Additionally, the mullite-zirconia material prepared at 1550 °C was more resistant to LCNM precursor corrosion than the ones prepared at 1500 and 1600 °C.