Conductive polymer composites with high electrical and mechanical properties are in demand for bipolar plates of phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC). In this study, composites based on natural graphite/fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) and different ratios of carbon black are mixed and hot formed into bars. The overall content of natural graphite is replaced by carbon black (0.2 wt% to 3.0 wt%). It is found that the addition of carbon black reduces electrical resistivity and density. The density of composite materials added with carbon black 3.0 wt% is 2.168 g/cm3, which is 0.017 g/cm3 less than that of non-additive composites. In-plane electrical resistivity is 7.68 μΩm and through-plane electrical resistivity is 27.66 μΩm. Compared with non-additive composites, in-plane electrical resistivity decreases by 95.7 % and through-plane decreases by 95.9 %. Also, the bending strength is about 30 % improved when carbon black is added at 2.0 wt% compared to non-additive cases. The decrease of electrical resistivity of composites is estimated to stem from the carbon black, which is a conductive material located between melted FEP and acts a path for electrons; the increasing mechanical properties are estimated to result from carbon black filling up pores in the composites.

A composite material was prepared for the bipolar plates of phosphoric acid fuel cells(PAFC) by hot pressing a flake type natural graphite powder as a filler material and a fluorine resin as a binder. Average particle sizes of the powders were 610.3, 401.6, 99.5, and 37.7 μm. The density of the composite increased from 2.25 to 2.72 g/cm3 as the graphite size increased from 37.7 to 610.3 μm. The anisotropy ratio of the composite increased from 1.8 to 490.9 as the graphite size increased. The flexural strength of the composite decreased from 15.60 to 8.94MPa as the graphite size increased. The porosity and the resistivity of the composite showed the same tendencies, and decreased as the graphite size increased. The lowest resistivity and porosity of the composite were 1.99 × 10−3 Ωcm and 2.02 %, respectively, when the graphite size was 401.6 μm. The flexural strength of the composite was 10.3MPa when the graphite size was 401.6 μm. The lowest resistance to electron mobility was well correlated with the composite with lowest porosity. It was possible the flaky large graphite particles survive after the hot pressing process.

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.

천연흑연은 단위구조가 탄소육각망평면이 평행하게 배열된 층상으로 전기전도도 및 윤활성이 우수하나 소수성이 매우 강하며, 표면화학적 목성이 거의 없기 때문에 다른 물질과 흡착이 쉽게 일어나지 않아 분산이 매우 어려운 물질이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 제타전위를 이용하여 흑연에 ABDM을 흡착시켜 표면특성을 소수성에서 친수성으로 변화시키고 수중현탁액 중에서 흑연입자의 분산 메커니즘을 DLVO이론을 이용하여 설명하였다. 흑연의 제타전위가 22.5mV가 되도록 ABDM의 흡착량 (20mg/g) 및 조건 (PH 10에서 12시간 흡착)을 만족시키면 분산안정성 (T1/2) 이 44.5시간인 고분산성 흑연 현탁액을 제조할 수 있다.