I need help to understand natural graphite, synthetic graphite, acetylene black, carbon black, graphite anode, hard carbon, although the main element in all these is carbon.
A single flow chart which can show raw materials/precursors to process to end materials will help me to understand.
Thank you
Dear Tanmay,
Carbon materials for LIB anodes consist of two large groups: active materials and conducting additives (carbon black powders).
- Active materials for industrial LIBs is graphite. Synthetic one has slightly better electrochemical properties. Graphite is used because of Li staging intercalation mechanism resulting in high-voltage profile of a battery and cycling stability.
In research LIBs different forms of carbon are used: see 2.1.1 here: Article Fast Charging Materials for High Power Applications
- Though, graphite is conducting, it consist of 10-40 um diameter grains and addition of 2-5% (by mass) of a carbon black (usually ~50nm particles) improves conductivity between grains of graphite. Super P, Ketjenblack, acetylene black and many others - are carbon blacks prepared by different procedures. They have slightly different physical properties, what affects slurry preparation, solvent/binder compatibility, etc.
I hope it helped.
Best regards,
Ievgen
Dear Tanmay,
As a negative electrode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs), carbon has a higher cycle life and higher safety. However, it has poor electrical conductivity, low charging and discharging platform, and poor stability of layered structure. Some carbon materials are complicated to make such as synthetic graphene, and the shape is difficult to control. Metal materials have good electrical conductivity, but due to the rapid volume expansion of lithium ions during the cycle of insertion and extraction, the electrodes are extremely quickly crushed and accompanied by extremely rapid capacity decay. Scholars have combined the advantages of carbon and metal materials to create a new type of carbon-based composite material.
I understand many have difficulty regarding the difference between different types of carbon material used in batteries which is also evident from the answers from other researchers.
So depending on the requirements, different carbon materials can be synthesized. The materials you mentioned are categorized based on four different attributes: 1) dominating bond (SP2 or SP3). 2) surface energy 3) source of carbon 4) size of carbon particles.
These four attributes can be changed or optimized to get a specific kind of carbon with desired properties. It's a long discussion.
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