Harper International, world leader in custom thermal processing solutions for advanced materials, has been awarded a contract for a high volume Rotary furnace system by Prayon, headquartered in Belgium.

The innovative reactor will be used for drying and calcining of Prayon’s advanced iron phosphate powder, a key component of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cathode materials used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, and is a part of their recently announced new plant investment to supply the lithium ion battery market. The gas-fired Harper Rotary kiln will support their high volume operations with features to maximize Prayon’s production, including advanced tube features to provide enhanced reaction kinetics, gas-tight and dust-tight design, and internal heat recovery within the furnace chamber to improve energy efficiency. Prayon collaborated with Harper through their Ignite™ process during the development phase by supporting scale up planning and analysis. The Ignite™ program offers scale-up expertise and testing resources to help minimize risk and maximize efficiency for pilot and production level outputs. “Harper is focused on supporting the next generation of materials in advanced markets, and this project for the lithium iron phosphate market is a great representation of that”, commented Brian Fuller, Sales Manager for Harper International. “The material is an ideal solution for many of today’s most progressive technologies for electric power and storage battery systems, and we are proud to be a part of Prayon’s solution to supply this market.”