3278 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
Sample Preparation
Figure 1 shows the processing procedure of the SOC to
ultrasonic decoating. The broken SOC is coarsely crushed
in a centrifugal ball mill (Pulverisette 6, Fritsch GmbH).
YSZ balls with a diameter of 10 mm were selected as grind-
ing media. The cell was stressed at level 10 for 30 s, after
which no large cell fragments were present. After comminu-
tion, the material was sieved at 1 mm, 315 µm, 200 µm and
100 µm. Since the cell was approximately 330 µm thick, a
mesh size of 315 µm was chosen as the target for the sieve
sections. A larger mesh size sieve was used to separate the
coarsest particles and two finer sieves were used to study the
accumulation of material in the fine fraction during selec-
tive comminution, in addition to the 315 µm mesh size
sieve. Sieving was performed using a Retsch AS200 control
“g” with an amplitude of 1.5 mm and a sieving time of
10 minutes. In addition to sieve analysis, the particle size
distribution of both sieve fractions greater than 315 µm was
examined using static image analysis. The perovskite con-
tent of all sieve fractions was measured using inductively
coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
Prior to decoating, the particles were washed to remove any
loosely adhering particles that could affect the decoating
result.
Ultrasonic Setup and Evaluation
The ultrasonic decoating setup is shown in Figure 1 on
the right. The cell particles were exposed to ultrasound in
water in a tube closed conically on one side. The tapered tip
ensured that the cell particles were directed back under the
sonotrode during exposure. Magnetic fixation as proposed
in Kaiser et al. (2024) was not possible because the nickel
in the cells was oxidized and therefore antiferromagnetic
instead of ferromagnetic. The sonotrode was a Bandelin
electronic UW 2200 with a maximum power of 200 W and
a diameter of 12 mm. The sample size was set to 200 mg.
In this study, the decoating of the two coarse fractions was
investigated. Due to insufficient quantities, the samples
between 100 and 315 µm were not treated with ultrasound.
The cell particles were stressed at 160 W in 5 s steps and the
cumulative detached particle mass mdetached was determined
gravimetrically after each step. The cumulative detached
mass ratio w was determined from the ablated particle mass
and the initial total mass mtotal as follows:
w m
m
total
detached =
Furthermore, the particle size distribution was determined
every 10 s by static image analysis. For better comparability
with sieving, the minimum Feret diameter x was chosen as
the particle size descriptor. The composition of the prod-
ucts after ultrasonic stressing was determined by ICP-AES.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
As preparation for ultrasonic testing, the cell was commi-
nuted in a ball mill and then sieved. The two coarse frac-
tions greater than 315 µm were analyzed using static image
analysis. The particle size distribution after comminution
determined by the sieving analysis and for the two coarse
fractions determined by static image analysis is shown in
Figure 2. The distribution of the sieving analysis starts at
about 10 %,meaning that 10 %of the mass is in the fine
fraction ≤ 100 µm. Up to a particle size of 315 µm, the
cumulative distribution rises only slightly to 18 %,then
increases much more steeply in a linear fashion, reaching
100 %at a particle size of approximately 2.8 mm. The
cumulative sum determined by image analysis shows that
the curve of the coarse fractions exhibits an S-curve with
the greatest increase occuring at around 1 mm.
Since the finest sieve fraction is particularly large in mass
compared to the adjacent classes, this could be an indica-
tion of selective comminution, where material accumulates
Figure 1. Processing procedure and setup of the ultrasonic decoating for SOC particles
Sample Preparation
Figure 1 shows the processing procedure of the SOC to
ultrasonic decoating. The broken SOC is coarsely crushed
in a centrifugal ball mill (Pulverisette 6, Fritsch GmbH).
YSZ balls with a diameter of 10 mm were selected as grind-
ing media. The cell was stressed at level 10 for 30 s, after
which no large cell fragments were present. After comminu-
tion, the material was sieved at 1 mm, 315 µm, 200 µm and
100 µm. Since the cell was approximately 330 µm thick, a
mesh size of 315 µm was chosen as the target for the sieve
sections. A larger mesh size sieve was used to separate the
coarsest particles and two finer sieves were used to study the
accumulation of material in the fine fraction during selec-
tive comminution, in addition to the 315 µm mesh size
sieve. Sieving was performed using a Retsch AS200 control
“g” with an amplitude of 1.5 mm and a sieving time of
10 minutes. In addition to sieve analysis, the particle size
distribution of both sieve fractions greater than 315 µm was
examined using static image analysis. The perovskite con-
tent of all sieve fractions was measured using inductively
coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
Prior to decoating, the particles were washed to remove any
loosely adhering particles that could affect the decoating
result.
Ultrasonic Setup and Evaluation
The ultrasonic decoating setup is shown in Figure 1 on
the right. The cell particles were exposed to ultrasound in
water in a tube closed conically on one side. The tapered tip
ensured that the cell particles were directed back under the
sonotrode during exposure. Magnetic fixation as proposed
in Kaiser et al. (2024) was not possible because the nickel
in the cells was oxidized and therefore antiferromagnetic
instead of ferromagnetic. The sonotrode was a Bandelin
electronic UW 2200 with a maximum power of 200 W and
a diameter of 12 mm. The sample size was set to 200 mg.
In this study, the decoating of the two coarse fractions was
investigated. Due to insufficient quantities, the samples
between 100 and 315 µm were not treated with ultrasound.
The cell particles were stressed at 160 W in 5 s steps and the
cumulative detached particle mass mdetached was determined
gravimetrically after each step. The cumulative detached
mass ratio w was determined from the ablated particle mass
and the initial total mass mtotal as follows:
w m
m
total
detached =
Furthermore, the particle size distribution was determined
every 10 s by static image analysis. For better comparability
with sieving, the minimum Feret diameter x was chosen as
the particle size descriptor. The composition of the prod-
ucts after ultrasonic stressing was determined by ICP-AES.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
As preparation for ultrasonic testing, the cell was commi-
nuted in a ball mill and then sieved. The two coarse frac-
tions greater than 315 µm were analyzed using static image
analysis. The particle size distribution after comminution
determined by the sieving analysis and for the two coarse
fractions determined by static image analysis is shown in
Figure 2. The distribution of the sieving analysis starts at
about 10 %,meaning that 10 %of the mass is in the fine
fraction ≤ 100 µm. Up to a particle size of 315 µm, the
cumulative distribution rises only slightly to 18 %,then
increases much more steeply in a linear fashion, reaching
100 %at a particle size of approximately 2.8 mm. The
cumulative sum determined by image analysis shows that
the curve of the coarse fractions exhibits an S-curve with
the greatest increase occuring at around 1 mm.
Since the finest sieve fraction is particularly large in mass
compared to the adjacent classes, this could be an indica-
tion of selective comminution, where material accumulates
Figure 1. Processing procedure and setup of the ultrasonic decoating for SOC particles