What is the advantage of customizing a rotary tube furnace with multiple temperature zones?

The customized rotary tube furnace with multiple temperature zones has significant advantages in the field of new energy. Its independent temperature control, uniform rotation heating, controllable vacuum/atmosphere, highly customized and intelligent operation characteristics precisely match the complex needs of battery material synthesis, fuel cell development, solar cell innovation and energy storage material research scenarios. It has become a key equipment for improving material performance and optimizing process efficiency. The following is a specific analysis of advantages:

1. Multi zone independent temperature control: meeting complex process requirements
Gradient temperature treatment: In the preparation of positive and negative electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, different temperature zones can achieve separate decomposition, sintering, and cooling of raw materials. For example, the carbon source is cracked in the high temperature zone (800-1000 ℃) in the front section, the carbon layer is uniformly coated in the medium temperature zone (500-700 ℃) in the middle section, and the internal stress is eliminated by annealing in the low temperature zone (200-300 ℃) in the back section, avoiding the problem of a single temperature zone being unable to accommodate multiple steps and improving material crystallinity and cycle life.
Synchronize processing of diversified materials: In the development of solid-state batteries, multiple temperature zones can simultaneously process solid-state electrolytes and electrode materials. For example, sintering solid electrolytes (such as LLZO) in the high-temperature zone (1200 ℃), heat treating positive electrode materials (such as NCM) in the medium temperature zone (800 ℃), and pre treating negative electrode materials (such as silicon carbon composites) in the low-temperature zone (300 ℃) can shorten the research and development cycle and reduce equipment costs.

2. Rotating uniform heating: improving material performance and quality
Uniform heating of powder materials: In the preparation of fuel cell catalysts, the rotation function allows Pt/C catalyst powder to continuously roll in the furnace, avoiding particle agglomeration, ensuring that each particle surface uniformly contacts reducing gases (such as H ₂), improving the uniformity of catalyst active site distribution, and increasing fuel cell efficiency by 10% -15%.
Uniform deposition of thin film materials: In the preparation of perovskite solar cells, a rotating tube furnace dynamically rotates the substrate to evenly spread the perovskite precursor solution on the substrate. Combined with multi temperature gradient annealing (such as removing solvent at 100 ℃ in the front section, promoting nucleation at 150 ℃ in the middle section, and optimizing grain growth at 250 ℃ in the back section), it reduces thin film defects and improves the device’s photoelectric conversion efficiency to over 22%.

3. Vacuum/Atmosphere Controllable: Preventing Material Oxidation and Pollution
Preparation of high-purity materials: In the preparation of silicon-based negative electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries, a vacuum environment (≤ 10 ⁻⁴ Pa) can prevent silicon from oxidizing to SiO ₂ at high temperatures. At the same time, the rotation function promotes the uniform coating of silicon particles with carbon produced by the cracking of carbon sources (such as methane), forming a core-shell structure, suppressing volume expansion, and increasing the battery cycle life to over 500 times.
Special atmosphere reaction control: In the preparation of proton exchange membranes (PEM) for fuel cells, a multi temperature zone tube furnace can be filled with a mixture of fluorine-containing gas (such as CF ₄) and oxygen. By precisely controlling the temperature zone (such as activation at 200 ℃ in the front section, fluorination at 350 ℃ in the middle section, and stabilization at 150 ℃ in the back section), a uniform fluorinated layer is formed on the membrane surface, improving proton conductivity and chemical stability.

4. Highly customized: adapting to the innovative needs of new energy materials
Customization of furnace size and material: For large-sized perovskite solar cell modules (such as 1.2m × 0.6m), long furnaces (≥ 1.5m) and large-diameter furnace tubes (≥ Φ 200mm) can be customized, supporting continuous production; For highly corrosive atmospheres such as Cl ₂, Hastelloy furnace tubes can be used to extend the service life of the equipment to more than 5 years.
Heating method and power customization: In the preparation of sulfide electrolytes for solid-state batteries, it is necessary to quickly raise the temperature to over 1000 ℃ to suppress sulfide decomposition. High power heating elements (such as 50kW silicon molybdenum rods) and short furnaces (≤ 500mm) can be customized to increase the heating rate to 20 ℃/min and shorten the heat treatment time to within 30 minutes.

5. Intelligent operation and data recording: optimizing processes and improving efficiency
Multi stage program temperature control: Through PLC or DCS control system, temperature rise, insulation, and cooling curves can be preset (such as 10 stage program temperature control required for lithium-ion battery material preparation), reducing human operation errors, ensuring consistency in each experiment or production, and suitable for large-scale industrial applications.
Real time data monitoring and analysis: The equipment can record parameters such as temperature, time, and atmosphere flow rate, and combine AI algorithms to analyze the relationship between process and material properties. For example, in the preparation of positive electrode materials for sodium ion batteries (such as Na ∝ V ₂ (PO ₄) ∝), by analyzing the effect of different temperature zones on material crystallinity and optimizing process parameters, the material capacity can be increased to over 120mAh/g.