Graphitized mesophase carbon microbeads

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. 

Given the complex process to produce mesophase carbon (graphitized microbeads and fibers), natural graphite can be very competitive in terms of its manufacturing costs [18]. The physical characteristics of certain SLC type materials are extremely close to the characteristics of state-of-the-art MCMB grades. 

Attempts were made to discover the correlation between the crystalline structure of carbonaceous materials and their capability to reversibly intercalate lithium. This correlation has not been definitely established, but still, one can assume as a certain general principle that the optimum materials would contain an amorphous matrix with inclusions of a mesophase nuclei of graphite crystallites. Such materials are various cokes, pyrographite, and products of pyrolysis (carbonization) of various polymers. For practical purposes, the industry mastered some special materials providing high characteristics of negative electrodes in lithium ion batteries. The most popular material is manufactured by the Japanese company of Osaka Gas Co. under the name of mesocarbon microbeads, MCMB it represents the carbonization product of pitchy resins under a certain temperature regime. 

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