In-Depth Analysis: How CDOF Achieves Deep TOC Removal via Multi-Catalytic Oxidative Ring-Opening and Activated Carbon Adsorption

In the production of new-energy battery materials, the TOC (Total Organic Carbon) content of product liquors is a key indicator of purity. When the TOC of product liquors such as nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate, and manganese sulfate exceeds limits, dissolved organic matter—extractant residues, organic additives, etc.—enters the cathode material precursor, triggering a cascade of effects including battery capacity fade and shortened cycle life.

So, where do dissolved organic compounds come from? SINOKLECDOFHow does the ozone catalytic oxidation flotation + activated carbon combined process achieve deep TOC removal? This article breaks it down layer by layer, from technical mechanisms to engineering data.

I. The "Culprit" Behind Product-Liquor TOC: Dissolved Organic Compounds

The TOC in product liquors mainly comes from two routes:

First, extractant residues. During hydrometallurgical processes, organic extractants contact the product liquor, and trace amounts of extractant dissolve into the aqueous phase, forming dissolved organic matter. Such substances have high molecular weight and stable structures, making them difficult to remove by conventional methods.

Second, organic additives. Various organic auxiliaries and modifiers added during production also leave organic components in the product liquor.

The reason these dissolved organic compounds are so troublesome is that they "co-exist in solution" with metal ions, making them impossible to separate by simple precipitation or filtration; and once they enter downstream cathode materials, they interfere with crystal growth and undermine electrochemical stability—which is precisely why TOC is regarded as a "hard metric" by high-end battery material manufacturers.

II.CDOF+ Activated Carbon: A Three-Step Synergistic Deep-Purification Chain

SINOKLECDOF+ activated carbon combined process achieves deep TOC removal through the systematic synergy of three stages: "oxidative chain-scission + flotation separation + adsorption refining."

Step 1: Multi-catalytic oxidation — "breaking up" large-molecule organics.

The product liquor enters theCDOFintegrated unit, where four catalytic pathways are simultaneously activated: homogeneous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, hydrodynamic cavitation catalysis, and pressurized catalysis. The multi-catalytic synergy efficiently converts ozone into hydroxyl radicals (·OH, oxidation potential 2.8 V). As one of the strongest oxidizing species in water treatment, ·OH—with its ultra-high 2.8 V oxidation potential—rapidly attacks the chemical bonds of large-molecule organics, achieving ring-opening and chain-scission: extractant residues, organic additives, etc. are degraded into small-molecule organics, and ultimately mineralized into CO₂ and H₂O.

Key point: The ozone oxidation of traditional processes relies on a single catalyst or even no catalyst, resulting in low ·OH generation efficiency;CDOFSINOKLE's multi-catalytic pathways are essentially "multiple ·OH-production channels running in parallel," which greatly improves oxidation efficiency.

Step 2: Cyclone flotation — "scooping out" the intermediate products.

After large-molecule organics are broken open and chain-scut, they generate non-dissolved intermediate products and colloids. If not separated promptly, these substances may re-dissolve or agglomerate, again contributing to TOC.CDOFCombined with cyclone flotation technology, the non-dissolved intermediate products and colloids are separated and removed simultaneously during the oxidation reaction, cutting off the possibility of "secondary pollution" at the source.

Step 3: Activated carbon deep adsorption — "catching" the residual organics.

CDOFThe effluent enters the activated carbon column, where the specific surface area and adsorption capacity of the activated carbon are used to deeply adsorb the residual trace organics. This stage serves as a "refining safety net": even if the influent TOC fluctuates, the activated carbon column ensures the effluent TOC remains stably compliant.

III. Core Components: Why Can theCDOFcatalyst last more than 5 years?

The catalyst is the core of ozone catalytic oxidation, and also the "Achilles' heel" of traditional processes.CDOFThe dedicated high-efficiency catalyst adopted achieves breakthroughs in three dimensions:

· Material: Multiple active metal oxides (including noble-metal catalytic components), with high catalytic activity and fast reaction rates;

· Structure: High porosity + super-hydrophilic modification, resistant to fouling and clogging, with organics less likely to accumulate on the catalyst surface;

· Maintenance: Fully automatic backwash activation and regeneration mechanism; catalyst service life exceeds 5 years—a fundamental guarantee of operational stability compared with the traditional catalyst's fate of "easy clogging, scaling, and passivation."

IV. One Comparison Table to Understand the Technological Generation Gap

As can be seen from the comparison table, theCDOF+ activated carbon leads not in a single metric, but in a systematic generational gap—from reaction principle to technology level, from reaction time to operating cost.

V. Engineering Proof: Zhejiang Pilot-Scale Data Verification

Whether the technology is good or not is determined by the data. In 2023, a new-energy raw-material enterprise in Zhejiang adopted theCDOFintegrated unit + activated carbon column (ozone output 300 g/h) to carry out a nickel sulfate solution TOC-removal pilot test, with a treatment scale of 24 m³/d.

Treatment effects:

- Influent TOC ≤ 200 mg/L → adsorber effluent TOC ≤ 100 mg/L, achieving deep-removal compliance;

- Product-liquor viscosity reduced from ≤ 50 to ≤ 28, fully meeting the process requirements of downstream battery-material production;

- Simultaneous oil removal, with effluent oil content ≤ 3 mg/L, achieving multiple benefits at once.

It is worth noting the "simultaneous oil removal": product liquors often contain oily pollutants at the same time, and theCDOF+ activated carbon completes oil removal while removing TOC—one system solving multiple indicators, with significant engineering economy.

VI. Patents and Endorsements: A Trust Chain from Lab to Industrialization

This combined process has obtained 1 PCT international patent and 2 invention patents, with a complete intellectual-property system; as a partner technical solution for leading enterprises such as CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited) and GEM (Green Eco-Manufacture), the reliability of the process has been tested by the most demanding markets.

Conclusion

From mechanism to data, theCDOF+ activated carbon's TOC deep-removal logic is clear: multi-catalytic oxidative ring-opening and chain-scission solve "hard-to-degrade large molecules," cyclone flotation separation solves "residual intermediate products," and activated carbon deep adsorption solves "trace residual fluctuations"—three-step synergy + patented catalyst achieves a systematic upgrade featuring fast reaction, low dosage, long life, and stable effluent. For battery-material enterprises that are upgrading their product-liquor treatment processes, this solution is worth in-depth study.