CTAB-ASSISTED SYNTHESIS OF MONODISPERSE SPHERICAL LiCO3 MICROCRYSTALS WITH AN ION-EXCHANGE METHOD

Based on modeling and optimization of the traditional reactive crystallization process, the preparation conditions of monodisperse lithium carbonate crystals and the agglomeration mechanism of the reactive crystallization process were explored in order to develop a novel multi-stage cascade crystallization process. Monodisperse Li2CO3 spheres were successfully fabricated with a high yield using a facile ion-exchange route in the study. In order to achieve this goal, the effects of the reactant ratio, reaction time, hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) additive, and reaction temperature on the crystal morphology of lithium carbonate were investigated. The results revealed that the optimal experimental conditions for preparing spherical lithium carbonate are as follows: a reaction feed ratio of 1.5:1, reaction time of 9 h, reaction temperature of 85 °C, and addition of 1 % CTAB emulsifier.