Patent ID: 8158071

Claim:
A system for use in a synthesizing process for synthesizing precursors to form a synthesized product at elevated temperatures, comprising a furnace having a furnace chamber open to the atmosphere for heating materials disposed in the furnace chamber, materials of the synthesizing process, gases within the furnace chamber consisting essentially of gases resulting from heating the materials of the synthesizing process and air of the atmosphere entering the furnace chamber, a solid reductive material porous to gases generated by the synthesizing process, a vessel disposed in the furnace chamber, the vessel having at least one opening with said at least one opening being fully open to gases within the furnace chamber so as to enable unrestricted flow of gases, for containing the materials of the synthesizing process and the solid reductive material , said solid reductive material being disposed across any opening in the vessel, and gases within the vessel consisting essentially of gases resulting from heating the materials of the synthesizing process and air from the atmosphere, wherein said materials of the synthesizing process are completely surrounded by at least one of the vessel and the solid reductive material so as to be between said materials of the synthesizing process and the air of the atmosphere within the furnace chamber, a flow of gases is from the materials of the synthesizing process, through the solid reductive material to the furnace chamber, or the reverse of same, the materials of the synthesizing process comprise Fe 2 O 3 , Li 2 CO 3 , carbon black, and phosphoric acid, the materials are heated to a temperature greater than 600° C., and the synthesized product is LiFePO 4 .