Project Overview
High-purity ternary battery-grade nickel sulphate is a key cathode material precursor for electric vehicle batteries. The 30,000-ton-per-year (metal content) project in Quzhou, Zhejiang required a complete suite of electric furnaces for sulphidation, refining and depletion duty. Shaanxi Chengda Industrial Furnace Manufacturing Co., Ltd. supplied and installed the furnace systems.
Equipment Supplied
| Equipment | Capacity | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphidation furnace | 3000kVA | Sulphidation smelting with holding system |
| Refining furnace | 1800kVA | Refining and impurity control |
| Depletion furnace | Project specific | Metal recovery from slag |
| Ancillary | - | Furnace covers, holding systems, ladle tilting unit, quench slag pool |
Construction Milestones
- Plant building structural frame completed and crane commissioned
- 3000kVA sulphidation furnace hood installed and aligned
- Drying equipment foundation and quench slag pool alloy ruler foundation completed
- Ladle tilting machine positioned and commissioned
- 1800kVA refining furnace installed under Chengda supervision with the customer's erection team
- 3000kVA sulphidation furnace electrode holder system installed and tested
- Depletion furnace erected and connected to the slag handling route
Technical Notes
Battery-grade nickel sulphate production is a chemistry-critical process: impurities such as copper, iron and zinc must be controlled to ppm levels. Chengda's furnace design supports this through:
- Stable power input - accurate electrode regulation keeps bath temperature within a narrow band, limiting volatilisation losses
- Clean furnace atmosphere - sealed hoods and controlled off-gas routes reduce contamination
- Holding systems - electrode holder and busbar systems designed for continuous operation with minimal maintenance
- Slag handling - water-quench slag pool and alloy ruler foundation designed for safe, dust-free slag discharge
Result
The furnace systems were installed and commissioned on schedule, meeting the project's requirement for continuous, high-availability operation in a battery material plant. Chengda remains a furnace partner for the customer's subsequent capacity expansions.
Documentation Handover
Chengda provided general arrangement drawings, electrical documentation, water pressure test records, commissioning checklists and operator training, together with a recommended spare parts list for the sulphidation, refining and depletion furnace lines.
Battery Material Context
As cathode chemistry moves toward high-nickel formulations, the demand for low-impurity nickel sulphate grows. Furnace stability, clean off-gas handling and precise temperature control in the sulphidation and refining steps directly affect the purity achieved in downstream crystallisation, which is why battery material plants specify equipment with documented performance.
All three furnace lines were delivered with matching control philosophy, so operators move between units without retraining and maintenance procedures stay consistent.
Chengda also supported the customer during the ramp-up period, reviewing slag chemistry and furnace power profiles to stabilise output.