Mesocarbon microbeads characteristics

Mabuchi, A., Tokumitsu, K., Fujimoto, H., and Kasuh, T., Charge-discharge characteristics of the mesocarbon microbeads heat-treated at different temperatures, J. Electrochem. Soc., 142, 1041, 1995. 

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. 

Subban, R.H.Y. and Arof, A.K. (2004) Charge-discharge characteristics of LiCo02/mesocarbon microbeads battery with poly(vinyl chloride)-based composite polymer electrolyte. /. Power Sources, 134,211-221. 

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