Effects of calcination temperature on properties of Li2SiO3 for precursor of Li2FeSiO4

Li2SiO3 was synthesized by combination of sol-gel method and calcination at high temperature using Li2CO3, HNO3, Si(OC2H5)4 and C2H5OH as starting materials. The effects of calcination temperature and refluxing system on the composition and properties of lithium silicate were investigated. The samples were characterized by TGA/DTA, XRD, SEM and particle size analysis. Li2FeSiO4 was prepared by the solid-state reaction between Li2SiO3 and FeC2O4·2H2O. The XRD patterns show that the use of refluxing system in the sol-gel preparation can decrease the Li2Si2O5 and Li4SiO4 impurities in the Li2SiO3 sample. The calcination temperature plays an important role in the properties of the Li2SiO3 samples. The sample calcined at 700 °C has high purity of 97% Li2SiO3 and good morphology as precursor of Li2FeSiO4. It consists of primary particles with size of 1–3 μm, and the primary particle clusters form agglomerates with loose and porous appearance.