How do you calculate PSD yield for cathode powder?

Divide the powder mass within the PSD specification by the total powder mass classified or sampled, then multiply by 100. With 8 kg in spec out of 250 kg sampled, PSD yield is 8 / 250 x 100 = 3.2%.

What is a good PSD yield for CAM or precursor powder?

Mature NMC precursor and CAM classification lines typically run 90-98% in-spec by mass once D50 and span are dialed in. A result like 3.2% signals a classifier cut-point or precipitation problem, not normal variation — the gap to a 95% target is 91.8 points.

What does the PSD yield gap to target mean?

It is target yield minus actual yield in percentage points. At a 95% target and 3.2% actual, the gap is 91.8 points — that many points of in-spec fraction you must still recover through classifier, agitation, or seeding changes.

Why is my PSD yield so low?

Common causes are a mis-set air-classifier cut point, agglomeration in co-precipitation, wrong sampling location, or a spec window narrower than the process can hold. Confirm the in-spec mass was weighed against the correct total before reacting.

Is PSD yield the same as overall process yield?

No. PSD yield only counts whether particle size meets spec. Overall yield also folds in moisture, impurity, and tap-density rejects, so PSD yield is usually higher than total first-pass yield.

Should I measure PSD yield by mass or by particle count?

Use mass for production accounting because cost and throughput scale with kilograms. Laser-diffraction PSD is volume/mass weighted, so a mass-based yield aligns with how the lab reports D10/D50/D90.

Cathode Active Material & Precursor Manufacturing calculator

Particle Size Distribution Yield Calculator

Particle-size distribution (PSD) yield is the fraction of classified CAM or precursor powder that falls inside the D10/D50/D90 window the process spec demands. Tap density, electrode coating uniformity, and rate capability all hinge on a tight PSD, so process and quality engineers track this yield batch by batch on co-precipitation, milling, and air-classification lines. A low PSD yield means powder is being re-classified, blended down, or scrapped, which directly erodes throughput and material cost. The gap-to-target figure tells you how many percentage points of classifier or precipitation tuning still stand between you and the qualification spec.

What this calculator does

Calculate the share of CAM or precursor powder that meets the specified D10, D50, D90, fines, or oversize particle-size window after milling and classification.
Use it when particle size distribution yield in cathode active material and precursor manufacturing needs a clean rate and gap-to-target you can put on a tier board.
It computes the percentage of sampled powder mass that meets the PSD specification, then how many points that yield sits below your target.

Formula used

Particle-size distribution yield = powder within PSD specification ÷ total powder classified or sampled × 100
PSD yield gap to target = target PSD yield - particle-size distribution yield

Inputs explained

Powder within PSD specification:
Total powder classified or sampled:
Target PSD yield:

How to use the result

Use it after classification, milling, or co-precipitation when you have weighed the in-spec fraction against the total mass sampled or classified.
A mass-based pass/fail yield says nothing about where out-of-spec powder lands on the curve — fines that can be re-blended and oversize that must be re-milled both count as the same 'reject' here.

Common questions

How do you calculate PSD yield for cathode powder? Divide the powder mass within the PSD specification by the total powder mass classified or sampled, then multiply by 100. With 8 kg in spec out of 250 kg sampled, PSD yield is 8 / 250 x 100 = 3.2%.
What is a good PSD yield for CAM or precursor powder? Mature NMC precursor and CAM classification lines typically run 90-98% in-spec by mass once D50 and span are dialed in. A result like 3.2% signals a classifier cut-point or precipitation problem, not normal variation — the gap to a 95% target is 91.8 points.
What does the PSD yield gap to target mean? It is target yield minus actual yield in percentage points. At a 95% target and 3.2% actual, the gap is 91.8 points — that many points of in-spec fraction you must still recover through classifier, agitation, or seeding changes.
Why is my PSD yield so low? Common causes are a mis-set air-classifier cut point, agglomeration in co-precipitation, wrong sampling location, or a spec window narrower than the process can hold. Confirm the in-spec mass was weighed against the correct total before reacting.
Is PSD yield the same as overall process yield? No. PSD yield only counts whether particle size meets spec. Overall yield also folds in moisture, impurity, and tap-density rejects, so PSD yield is usually higher than total first-pass yield.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.