Electroless nickel-plated ferrochromium flue dust as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

The flue dust of the electric arc furnace is a waste product generated in the production of ferrochromium alloy. It consists of various transition metal oxides and silicates. In this study, innovatively, it is proposed to apply electroless nickel plating and then high-energy ball milling to evaluate the waste in question as electrode material in battery technology. Therefore, the flue dust (sample 1), the electroless nickel-plated (sample 2), and the electroless nickel-plated then high-energy ball-milled (sample 3) flue dust are characterized morphologically, structurally, and chemically. Cyclic voltammetry is performed to investigate their lithiation mechanisms. Negative symmetric cells are assembled to record their impedances. The SEM, XRD, and XPS results of sample 3 show that a nickel layer is successfully deposited on the flue dust. Electrochemical test results reveal that due to the catalytic effect and electrochemically inactive behavior (versus lithium) of nickel, the electrode/electrolyte interface reactions are modified, electron transfer along the electrode is facilitated and electrochemical induced agglomeration in cycling is prevented. Moreover, decreasing the particle size by ball milling increases the stress accommodation ability of the electrode. Hence, crack formation and delamination of sample 3 are also restricted.