The lithium-ion battery has been utilized in various fields including energy storage system, portable electronic devices and electric vehicles due to their high energy and power densities, low self-discharge, and long cycle-life performances. However, despite of various research on electrode materials, there is a lack of research on developing of binder to replace conventional polymer-based binding materials. In this work, petroleum pitch (MP-50)/polymer (polyurethane, PU) composite binder for lithium-ion battery has fabricated not only to use as a binding material, but also to re-place conventional polymer-based binder. The MP-50/PU composite binder has also prepared to various ratios between petroleum pitch and polymer to optimize the physical and electro-chemical performance of the lithium-ion battery based on the MP-50/PU composite binder. The physical and electrochemical performances of the MP-50/PU composite binder-based lithium-ion battery were evaluated using a universal testing machine (UTM), charge/discharge test. As a result, lithium-ion battery based on the MP-50/PU composite (5:5, mass ratio) binder showed optimized performances with 1.53 gf mm− 1 of adhesion strength, 341 mAh g− 1 of specific discharge capacity and 99.5% of ICE value.

The lithium ion battery has applied to various fields of energy storage systems such as electric vehicle and potable electronic devices in terms of high energy density and long-life cycle. Despite of various research on the electrode and electrolyte materials, there is a lack of research for investigating of the binding materials to replace polymer based binder. In this study, we have investigated petroleum pitch/polymer composite with various ratios between petroleum pitch and polymer in order to optimize the electrochemical and physical performance of the lithium-ion battery based on petroleum pitch/polymer composite binder. The electrochemical and physical performances of the petroleum pitch/polymer composite binder based lithium-ion battery were evaluated by using a charge/discharge test, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and universal testing machine (UTM). As a result, the petroleum pitch(MP-50)/polymer(PVDF) composite (5:5 wt % ratio) binder based lithium-ion battery showed 1.29 gf mm-1 of adhesion strength with 144 mAh g-1 of specific dis-charge capacity and 93.1 % of initial coulombic efficiency(ICE) value.

This paper proposes the optimal molecular weight for a petroleum-based binder pitch to enhance the density and strength of the prepared graphite block. The effect of the molecular weight on the binder properties, which was quantified using solvent fractionation, was considered based on the evaluation of the coking and viscosity characteristics. The affinity of the pitch to coke influenced the carbonization yield of the block, and the proportion of closed pores was reduced via the use of a highaffinity binder pitch. In addition, the viscosity was found to influence the uniformity of the coke and pitch dispersions, and numerous open pores were formed in the graphite block under high-viscosity conditions. In terms of the molecular weight, a reduction in the content of the insoluble 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) fraction, which was the heaviest fraction present in the pitch, was found to reduce the affinity of the binder to coke while increasing its viscosity. Therefore, the density and strength of the prepared graphite block were reduced upon increasing the insoluble NMP content of the binder pitch. Consequently, it was necessary to control the content of this fraction within < 13.81 wt% to obtain high-density and high-strength graphite blocks.

In the present study, carbon molded bodies were prepared by using graphite/coke fillers and petroleum-based binder pitch with various softening points, and the thermal properties of the prepared carbon molded bodies were investigated. The ratio of a binder affects the molded body preparation: no molded body was prepared at a low binder pitch content, and swelling occurred during the thermal treatment at a high binder pitch content. The binder pitch thermal treatment yield was the highest at 41 wt% at the softening point of 150 °C and the lowest at 23 wt% at the softening point of 78 °C. A significant mass reduction was found in the range of 150 to 300 °C in the petroleum-based binder pitch, and in the range of 300 to 475 °C in the coal-based binder pitch. The molecular weight of the binder pitch was analyzed through the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) method. The molecular weight ratio within the interval showing the highest binder pitch molecular weight (178 to 712 m/z) was the highest at 66.4% in the coal-based binder pitch (softening point 115 °C) and the lowest at 46.0% in the petroleum-based binder pitch (softening point 116 °C). When the petroleumbased binder pitch was applied, as the softening point was increased, the voids decreased and thus the thermal conductivity increased. The highest thermal conductivity was 99.5 W/mK for the carbon molded bodies prepared using the coal-based binder pitch and 102.8 W/mK for those prepared by using the petroleum-based binder pitch. The results showed that the thermal properties were similar between the coal-based binder pitch (softening point 115 °C) and the petroleum-based binder pitch (softening point 150 °C).

Among other filters such as light filter, wave filter, air filter, ultra filter and filter paper, a novel adsorption filter from thermostable polyester nonwoven fabrics immobilized with functional super activated carbon by means of quinoline soluble, activateable isotropic pitch binder were developed in this study. The activated carbon precursor is available in the market branded as coconut shell based activated carbon(CCS-AC) produced by Dongyang Carbon Co. Ltd. BET-surface area of this precursor was 1,355 m2/g, after KOH-activation it increased over 2,970 m2/g and was named as super activated carbon. In the preliminary research, this precursor was impregnated with PdCl2(0.188 wt%) KMnO4(3 wt%) and redox-agent(CuCl2, 0.577 wt%) in order to promote TOF up to 100/h and Selectivity up 99% and patented as a functional AC for the ethylene adsorption. The enhancement of the isotropic pitch binder to the AC-immobilized adsorption filter was BET-surface area upgraded by 266 m2/g and promoted the Iodine- and MB-adsorption by 1.4 times, respectively and also micro pore wide ranges 〈 5a~30 a 〉.