Cathode Precursor Production Pilot Plant (C4P) – Stage 3

<jats:p>Stage 3 of the Cathode Precursor Production Pilot Plant (C4P) extended CSIRO and Curtin capabilities for pilot-scale production of precursor cathode active material (pCAM) to support a Western Australian battery materials industry. Semi-batch and continuous processing modes were successfully piloted. Results showed certain feedstock impurities did not affect pCAM properties, enabling more flexible, process-dependent specifications. Different pCAM chemistries, as well as doping and different core-shell chemistries were explored to improve stability and energy density. A theoretical model and an image analysis tool were developed which, after further validation, have the potential to predict product quality, optimise operating conditions, reduce experimental effort and initiate automation of analytical workflows.</jats:p>