Effect of Solution Chemistry on Solution Precursor Plasma Spray Deposition of LiFePO₄

Solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) is a thermal spray process in which deposits are formed by injecting solutions with the appropriate chemistry directly into the plasma. The deposits consist of grains or particles as small as ~20nm, and may be very porous or nearly dense, depending on the solution and deposition parameters. Recently, the potential of SPPS to deposit fine particle, porous coatings suitable for use as electrochemical electrodes for fuel cells and gas sensors has been demonstrated. This paper describes the efforts to deposit LiFePO₄ coatings which may be of interest for Li ion battery electrodes with SPPS. In this case, along with the porosity, surface area, and microstructure of the deposited coatings, crystal structure also plays an important role in determining the performance of the LiFePO₄ electrodes. Solution precursors with different solution chemistries containing lithium, iron and phosphorus ions are injected into hydrocarbon plasma issuing from a DC-arc torch. The effects of solution chemistries on coating morphologies and crystal structure were investigated. The results indicate that the porosity and crystal structure of the coatings can be tailored by selecting different additives.