The work presented in this report was a detailed comparative study of the electrochemical response exhibited by graphite anodes in Li-ion batteries having different physical features. A comprehensive morphological and physical characterization was carried out for these graphite samples via X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Later, the electrochemical performance was analyzed using galvanostatic charge/discharge testing and the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique for these graphite samples as negative electrode materials in battery operation. The results demonstrated that a material having a higher crystalline order exhibits enhanced electrochemical properties when evaluated in terms of rate-capability performance. All these materials were investigated at high C-rates ranging from 0.1C up to 10C. Such improved response was attributed to the crystalline morphology providing short layers, which facilitate rapid Li+ ions diffusivity and electron transport during the course of battery operation. The values obtained for the electrical conductivity of these graphite anodes support this possible explanation.
Graphite can be classified into natural graphite from mines and artificial graphite. Due to its outstanding properties such as light weight, thermal resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, chemical stability, and high-temperature strength, artificial graphite is used across various industries in powder form and bulk form. Artificial graphite of powder form is usually used as anode materials for secondary cells, while artificial graphite of bulk form is used in steelmaking electrode bars, nuclear reactor moderators, silicon ingots for semiconductors, and manufacturing equipment. This study defines artificial graphite as bulk graphite, and provides an overview of bulk graphite manufacturing, including isotropic and anisotropic materials, molding methods, and heat treatment.
In order to prepare anode materials for high power lithium ion secondary batteries, carbon composites were fabricated with a mixture of petroleum pitch and coke (PC) and a mixture of petroleum pitch, coke, and natural graphite (PCNG). Although natural graphite has a good reversible capacity, it has disadvantages of a sharp decrease in capacity during high rate charging and potential plateaus. This may cause difficulties in perceiving the capacity variations as a function of electrical potential. The coke anodes have advantages without potential plateaus and a high rate capability, but they have a low reversible capacity. With PC anode composites, the petroleum pitch/cokes mixture at 1:4 with heat treatment at 1000 oC (PC14-1000C) showed relatively high electrochemical properties. With PC-NG anode composites, the proper graphite contents were determined at 10~30 wt.%. The composites with a given content of natural graphite and remaining content of various petroleum pitch/cokes mixtures at 1:4~4:1 mass ratios were heated at 800~1200 oC. By increasing the content of petroleum pitch, reversible capacity increased, but a high rate capability decreased. For a given composition of carbonaceous composite, the discharge rate capability improved but the reversible capacity decreased with an increase in heat treatment temperature. The carbonaceous composites fabricated with a mixture of 30 wt.% natural graphite and 70 wt.% petroleum pitch/cokes mixture at 1:4 mass ratio and heat treated at 1000 oC showed relatively high electrochemical properties, of which the reversible capacity, initial efficiency, discharge rate capability (retention of discharge capacity in 10 C/0.2 C), and charge capacity at 5 C were 330 mAh/g, 79 %, 80 %, and 60 mAh/g, respectively.
When manufacturing bulk graphite, pores develop within the bulk during the carbonization process due to the volatile components of the fillers and the binders. As a result, the physical properties of bulk graphite are inferior to the theoretical values. Impregnants are impregnated into the pores generated in the carbonization process through pressurization and/or depressurization. The physical properties of bulk graphite that has undergone impregnation and re-carbonization processes are outstanding. In the present study, a green body was manufactured by molding with natural graphite flakes and phenolic resin at 45 MPa. Bulk graphite was manufactured by carbonizing the green body at 700 and it was subsequently impregnated with impregnants having viscosity of 25.0 cP, 10.3 cP, and 5.1 cP, and the samples were re-carbonized at 700°C. The above process was repeated three times. The open porosity of bulk graphite after the final process was 22.25%, 19.86%, and 18.58% in the cases of using the impregnant with viscosity of 25.0 cP, 10.3 cP, and 5.1 cP, respectively.
In this study, the porous ceramic filter was developed to be able to remove both dust and hazardous gas contained in fuel gas at high temperature. The porous ceramic filters were fabricated and used as a catalyst support. And the effects have been investigated such as the mean particle size, organic content and addition of foaming agent on the porosity, compressive strength and pressure drop of ceramic filters. With the increase of mean powder size and the organic content for the cordierite filter, the porosity was increased, but the compressive strength and pressure drop were decreased. From the results of the research, the optimum condition for the fabrication of ceramic filters could be acquired and they had the porosity of 58%, the compressive strength of 13.4 MPa and the pressure drop of 250 Pa. It was expected that this ceramic filter was able to be applied to the glass melting furnace, combustor, and dust/toxic gas removal filter.
This research developed ultra-pressure pump main body by using ductile cast iron FCD500, conducted quantitative analysis on following phenomenon of flow or solidification processing in cast processing for improvement of cast device, after extracting model from cast concluded as follows by brinel hardness test. after selecting the ideal condition of cast and it applied to cast of real product shape, discovered the ideal filling processing under the condition that temperature of molten metal was between 1300℃ and 1280℃. and after finishing filling, solidification was commenced rapidly when percentage of solidification completion was between 40%~50%, at that moment, the termperature was measured 1100℃. moreover under the condition of temperature below 900℃, keeping temperature on the center of parts for a certain period of time brings stability of stabilization of heat in parts and organizational stabilization of ductile cast iron. As the results of the casting method design, it was that the ductile cast parts of pump main body was obtained as the maximum HB of 220 was recorded and good test results were achieved
In this paper, the response of graphite/epoxy laminated composite beams subjected to impact loads without damage, is studied by the use of the developed finite element program. The modified Hertzian contact law considered elasto-plastic process is used to calculate the dynamic responses between the impactor and laminated target. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the effects on the histories of contact force, deflection, damage energy, strain and stress through the thickness due to stacking sequence. In view of the kinetic energy response, [0/30/0/-30]2S laminate is faster than that of other two laminates due to its flexural stiffness. In special, the distribution of stress through the thickness shows nearly linear despite its discontinuity of stacking sequences for dynamic analysis unlike static analysis in a laminated composites.
Isotropic synthetic graphite scrap and phenolic resin were mixed, and the mixed powder was formed at 300 MPa to produce a green body. New bulk graphite was produced by carbon-izing the green body at 700°C, and the bulk graphite thus produced was impregnated with resin and re-carbonized at 700°C. The bulk density of the bulk graphite was 1.29 g/cm3, and the porosity of the open pores was 29.8%. After one impregnation, the density increased to 1.44 g/cm3 while the porosity decreased to 25.2%. Differences in the pore distribution before and after impregnation were easily confirmedby observing the microstructure. In addition, by using an X-ray diffractometer, the degrees-of-alignment (Da) were obtained for one side perpendicular to the direction of compression molding of the bulk graphite (the “top-face”), and one side parallel to the direction of compression molding (the “side-face”). The anisot-ropy ratio calculated from the Da-values obtained was 1.13, which indicates comparatively good isotropy.
This study is research on the thermal emissivity depending on the alignment degrees of graphite flakes. Samples were manufactured by a slurry of natural graphite flakes with organic binder and subsequent dip-coating on an aluminum substrate. The alignment degrees were controlled by applying magnetic field strength (0, 1, and 3 kG) to the coated samples. The alignment degree of the sample was measured by XRD. The thermal emissivity was measured by an infrared thermal image camera at 100˚C. The alignment degrees were 0.04, 0.11, and 0.17 and the applied magnetic field strengths were 0, 1, and 3 kG, respectively. The thermal emissivities were 0.829, 0.837, and 0.844 and the applying magnetic field strengths were 0, 1, and 3 kG, respectively. In this study the correlation coefficient, R2, between thermal emissivity and alignment degree was 0.997. Therefore, it was concluded that the thermal emissivities are correlated with the alignment degree of the graphite flakes.
Expanded graphite (EG) was prepared using a drying process for application as an oil-adsorbent: the morphology, expansion volume, and oil absorption capacity of the EG were investigated. The expanded volume of the EG increased with an increasing reaction time and heat treatment temperature. The oil adsorption capacity of the EG was 45 g of n-dodecane per 1 g of EG. It is noted that the drying process of EG is a useful technique for a new oil-adsorbent.
Ultra-fine zirconium carbide (ZrC) powder with nano-sized primary particles was synthesized by the carbothermal reduction method by using nano-sized and nano-sized graphite powders mixture. The synthesized ZrC powder was well dispersed after simple milling process. After heat-treatment at for 2 h under vacuum, ultra-fine ZrC powder agglomerates (average size, ) were facilely obtained with rounded particle shape and particle size of ~200 nm. Ultra-fine ZrC powder with an average particle size of 316 nm was obtained after ball milling process in a planetary mill for 30 minutes from the agglomerated ZrC powder.
The bipolar plate is the most important and most costly component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The development of a suitable low density bipolar plate is scientif-cally and technically challenging due to the need to maintain high electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Here, bipolar plates were developed from different particle sizes of natural and expanded graphite with phenolic resin as a polymeric matrix. It was observed that the particle size of the reinforcement significantlyinfluencesthe mechanical and electri-cal properties of a composite bipolar plate. The composite bipolar plate based on expanded graphite gives the desired mechanical and electrical properties as per the US Department of Energy target, with a bulk density of 1.55 g.cm-3 as compared to that of ~1.87 g.cm-3 for a composite plate based on natural graphite (NG). Although the bulk density of the expanded-graphite-based composite plate is ~20% less than that of the NG-based plate, the I-V perfor-mance of the expanded graphite plate is superior to that of the NG plate as a consequence of the higher conductivity. The expanded graphite plate can thus be used as an electromagnetic interference shielding material.
Graphite oxide (GO) was produced using the modified Hummer's method. Poly(p-phenylene sulfide) (PPS)/reduced graphite oxide (RGO) composites were prepared by in situ polymerization method. The electrical conductivity of the PPS/RGO composites was no more than 82 S/m. It was found that as GO content increased in the PPS/RGO composites, the crystallization temperature and electrical conductivity of the composites increased and the percolation threshold value was at 5-8 wt% of GO content.
In the present work, exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (EGN) of 1 μm in average particle size, which were prepared by heating at 900℃ and then subjected to ultrasonic, ball-milling, and vibratory ball-milling techniques, were uniformly incorporated into phenylethynyl-terminated polyimide (PETI-5) resin. The fracture surface morphology and the electrical resistivity of the EGN/PETI-5 composites were investigated. The results showed that the fracture surfaces and the electrical resistivity strongly depended on the EGN content. The fracture surfaces became more ductile and roughened with increasing EGN and the electrical resistivity was gradually decreased with increased EGN loading, indicating the percolation threshold at 5 wt% EGN.
In this work, expanded graphite (EG)-reinforced poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nanocomposites were prepared by the melt mixing method and the content of the EG was fixed as 2 wt%. The effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a co-carbon filler on the electrical and mechanical properties of the EG/PET was investigated. The results showed that the electrical and mechanical properties of the EG/PET were significantly increased with the addition of MWCNTs, showing an improvement over those of PET prepared with EG alone. This was most likely caused by the interconnections in the MWCNTs between the EG layers in the PET matrix. It was found that the addition of the MWCNTs into EG/PET led to dense conductive networks for easy electron transfers, indicating a bridge effect of the MWCNTs.
A novel strategy for the simultaneous reduction and functionalization of graphene oxide (G-O) was developed using polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAAH) as a multi-functional agent. The G-O functionalization by PAAH was carried out under basic conditions to catalyze the epoxide ring opening reaction of G-O with abundant amine groups of PAAH. We found that G-O was not only functionalized with PAAH but also reduced under the reaction condition. Moreover, the synthesized PAAH-functionalized G-O sheets were soluble in water and applicable to the synthesis of nanocomposites with gold nanoparticles.
Two different types of graphite, such as flake graphite (FG) and spherical graphite (SG), were used as anode materials for a lithium-ion secondary battery in order to investigate their electrochemical performance. The FG particles were prepared by pulverizing natural graphite with a planetary mill. The SG particles were treated by immersing them in acid solutions or mixing them with various carbon additives. With a longer milling time, the particle size of the FG decreased. Since smaller particles allow more exposure of the edge planes toward the electrolyte, it could be possible for the FG anodes with longer milling time to deliver high reversible capacity; however, their initial efficiency was found to have decreased. The initial efficiency of SG anodes with acid treatments was about 90%, showing an over 20% higher value than that of FG anodes. With acid treatment, the discharge rate capability and the initial efficiency improved slightly. The electrochemical properties of the SG anodes improved slightly with carbon additives such as acetylene black (AB), Super P, Ketjen black, and carbon nanotubes. Furthermore, the cyclability was much improved due to the effect of the conductive bridge made by carbon additives such as AB and Super P.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites with various graphite oxide (GO) contents (0 to 10 wt%) were prepared by sonicating the mixture of PVA and GO, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. GO was pre-treated with oxyfluorination (O2:F2 = 8:2) in order to modify the surface of GO to allow it to carry hydrophilic functional groups. PVA/GO composite hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). The morphology of the PVA/GO composite hydrogels and the variations in soluble gel portion were investigated under various GO contents and UV irradiation doses. The variation in the chemical structure of photo degraded PVA/GO composite hydrogels was studied by FT-IR. The photochemical stability of PVA/GO composite hydrogels under UV irradiation was found to improve noticeably with increasing content of uniformly dispersed GO.
We study the relationships between the thermal emissivity of nuclear graphites (IG-110, PCEA, IG-430 and NBG-18) and their surface structural change by oxidation using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The nonoxidized (0% weight loss) specimen had the surface covered with glassy materials and the 5% and 10% oxidized specimens, however, showed high roughness of the surface without glassy materials. During oxidation the binder materials were oxidized first and then graphitic filler particles were subsequently oxidized. The 002 interlayer spacings of the non-oxidized and the oxidized specimens were about 3.38~3.39a. There was a slight change in crystallite size after oxidation compared to the nonoxidized specimens. It was difficult to find a relationship between the thermal emissivity and the structural parameters obtained from the XRD analysis.
Expanded graphites were used as anode materials of high power Li-ion secondary battery. The expanded graphite was prepared by mixing the graphite with HClO4 as a intercalation agents and KMnO4 as a oxidizing agents. The physical and electrochemical properties of prepared expanded graphites through the variation of process variables such as contents of intercalation agent and oxidizing agent, and heat treatment temperature were analyzed for determination of optimal conditions as the anode of high power Li-ion secondary battery. After examing the electrochemical properties of expanded graphites at the different preparing conditions, the optimal conditions of expanded graphite were selected as 8 wt.% of oxidizing agent, 400 g of intercalation agent for 20 g of natural graphite, and heat treatment at 1000℃. The sample showed the improved charge/discharge characteristics such as 432 mAh/g of initial reversible capacity, 88% of discharge rate capability at 10 C-rate, and 24 mAh/g of charge capacity at 10 C-rate. However, the expanded graphite had the problems of potential plateaus like natural graphite and lower initial efficiency than the natural graphite.