Process Optimization for the Preparation of the Lithium Iron Phosphate Precursor FePO4·2H2O by Anodic Oxidation Method

Iron phosphate (FePO4·2H2O) was synthesized via anodic oxidation using nickel–iron alloy composition simulates from laterite nickel ore as the anode and graphite electrodes as the cathode, with phosphoric acid serving as the electrolyte. A uniform experimental design was employed to systematically optimize the synthesis parameters including voltage, electrolyte concentration, electrolysis time, and degree of acidity or alkalinity (pH). The results indicate that the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant effectively modulated the morphology of the anodic oxidation products. The optimized conditions were determined to be an electrolyte concentration of 1.2 mol/L, a voltage of 16 V, a pH of 1.6, an electrolysis time of 8 h, and a 3% CTAB addition. Under these conditions, the synthesized FePO4·2H2O exhibited enhanced performance as a lithium-ion battery precursor. Specifically, the corresponding LiFePO4/C cathode delivered an initial discharge capacity of 157 mA h g−1 at 0.2 C, retaining 99.36% capacity after 100 cycles. These findings provide valuable insights and theoretical foundations for the efficient preparation of iron phosphate precursors, highlighting the significant impact of optimized synthesis conditions on the electrochemical performance of lithium iron phosphate.