Hi, I've been heating the slurry of silicon anode (Si + conductive carbon + binder on a Cu foil) on a hotplate with temperature of 70 C for 4 hours. The slurry was dried. But I'm worried that the silicon will be oxidized and forming SiO2. Does heating the silicon slurry at 70 C in open air will lead to severe oxidation on the silicon particles? Is there anyone fabricating Si anode with hotplate too (without using vacuum oven)? Thank you.
Assuming the slurry is water based it depends on:
1) the size of the Si particles (small nano may oxidise completely)
2) the state of the surface of your particles (pre-existing native oxide vs. active Si or functionalized Si).
3) the pH of the slurry.
You can relatively quickly find out by measuring total oxygen content by combustion analasis of the Si particles treated 4 hrs in 70 °C water and compare to your feed Si. A good SEM EDX system may also give you a rough idea of the difference in [O].
The silicon particles may get oxidized partially or fully; so better to dry the slurry in nitrogen environment.
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