Applications of Carbon in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Department of Physics Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is one of a number of new battery technologies which have been developed in the last ten years. This battery system, operating at room temperature, offers several advantages compared to conventional aqueous battery technologies, for example, 

Longer shelf life (up to 5-10 years) and cycle life (1000 to 3000 

2 Why is carbon a suitable candidate for the anode of a Lithium-ion Battery  

A possible solution to this problem is to use an electrolyte, such as a solid polymer electrolyte, which is less reactive with lithium metal [3]. Another simple solution is the lithium-ion cell. 

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Zheng T., Dahn J.R., Applications of carbon in Lithium-ion batteries, In Carbon materials for advanced technologies, Burchell T.D. Ed., Elsevier, Oxford, 1999, pp 341-388. 

Zheng, T. and Dahn, J. R. Applications of carbon in lithium-ion batteries, in Burchell, T. D. (ed.), Carbon Materials for Advanced Technologies, 1999, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Elsevier, pp. 341-387. 

Practically every battery system uses carbon in one form or another. The purity, morphology and physical form are very important factors in its effective use in all these applications. Its use in lithium-ion batteries (Li-Ion), fuel cells and other battery systems has been reviewed previously [1 -8]. Two recent applications in alkaline cells and Li-Ion cells will be discussed in more detail. Table 1 contains a partial listing of the use of carbon materials in batteries that stretch across a wide spectrum of battery technologies and materials. Materials stretch from bituminous materials used to seal carbon-zinc and lead acid batteries to synthetic graphites used as active materials in lithium ion cells. 

In lithium-ion battery applications, it is important to reduce the cost of electrode materials as much as possible. In this section, we will discuss hard carbons with high capacity for lithium, prepared from phenolic resins. It is also our goal, to collect further evidence supporting the model in Fig. 24. 

Synthetic carbonaceous materials are widely used in these applications. Several types of synthetic materials (e.g. graphitized mesophase carbon microbeads (MCMB), graphitized milled carbon fiber, and even, initially, hard carbons) became the materials of choice at the time of commercialization of first successful lithium-ion batteries in late 1980s. New trends, mainly driven by cost reduction and need for improved performance, currently shift focus towards application of natural graphite. 

The contribution by Rouzaud et al. teaches to apply a modified version of high resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) as an efficient technique of quantitative investigation of the mechanism of irreversible capacity loss in various carbon candidates for application in lithium-ion batteries. The authors introduce the Corridor model , which is interesting and is likely to stimulate active discussion within the lithium-ion battery community. Besides carbon fibers coated with polycarbon (a candidate anode material for lithium-ion technology), authors study carbon aerogels, a known material for supercapacitor application. Besides the capability to form an efficient double electric layer in these aerogels, authors... 

The work presented in this chapter involves the study of high capacity carbonaceous materials as anodes for lithium-ion battery applications. There are hundreds and thousands of carbonaceous materials commercially available. Lithium can be inserted reversibly within most of these carbons. In order to prepare high capacity carbons for lithium-ion batteries, one has to understand the physics and chemistry of this insertion. Good understanding will ultimately lead to carbonaceous materials with higher capacity and better performance. 

Wilkes launched the field of air- and moisture-stable ionic liquids by introducing five new materials, each containing the Tethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation [EMIMJ+ with one of five anions nitrate [NC>3], nitrite [NO2]-, sulfate [SC>4]2, methyl carbonate [CH3CO2]- and tetrafluoroborate [BF [47]. Only the last two materials had melting points lower than room temperature, and the reactive nature of the methyl carbonate would make it unsuitable for many applications. This led to the early adoption of [EMIM][BF4] as a favored ionic liquid, which has since been the subject of over 350 scientific publications. One of the first appeared in 1997 [50], reporting the investigation of [EMIM][BF4] as the electrolyte system for a number of processes, including the electrodeposition of lithium (intended for use in lithium ion batteries). 

This type of Li battery has already widely diffused in the electronic consumer market, however for automotive applications the presence of a liquid electrolyte is not considered the best solution in terms of safety, then for this type of utilization the so-called lithium polymer batteries appear more convenient. They are based on a polymeric electrolyte which permits the transfer of lithium ions between the electrodes [21]. The anode can be composed either of a lithium metal foil (in this case the device is known as lithium metal polymer battery) or of lithium supported on carbon (lithium ion polymer battery), while the cathode is constituted by an oxide of lithium and other metals, of the same type used in lithium-ion batteries, in which the lithium reversible intercalation can occur. For lithium metal polymer batteries the overall cycling process involves the lithium stripping-deposition at the anode, and the deintercalation-intercalation at the anode, according to the following electrochemical reaction, written for a Mn-based cathode ... 

From an application viewpoint. Some of best application of carbon nanofibers include ACNF as anodes in lithium-ion battery. Organic removal from waste water using, ACNF as cathode catalyst or as anodes for microbial fuel ceUs (MFCs), Electrochemical properties of ACNF as an electrode for supercapacitors. Adsorption of some toxic industrial solutions and air pollutants on ACNF [108-120]. 

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