Electric double layer capacitor

• US 6,288,888 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokin Corporation (Yageo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Sakata, Koji, Mimura, Kazuya, Harada, Gaku, Nakazawa, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinkins, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US09/467,383
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 361/502, 361/503, 361/508, 361/516, 361/512, 361/509
• US Class Current: 361/502
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/24 characterised by structural features of the materials making up or comprised in the electrodes, e.g. form, surface area or porosity; characterised by the structural features of powders or particles used therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/34 characterised by carbonisation or activation of carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/40 Fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In an electric double layer capacitor having a pair of polarizable electrodes containing activated carbon and auxiliary materials for giving electric conductivity to the polarizable electrodes, the auxiliary materials include at least two carbon materials such as epitaxially grown carbon fiber and granular graphite. An electric double layer capacitor having small internal resistance, large electrostatic capacitance and small variations of internal resistance and capacitance is realized by the auxiliary materials.

Claims

1. An electric double layer capacitor comprising a pair of polarizable electrodes containing activated carbon and at least two auxiliary materials for giving electric conductivity to said polarizable electrodes.

2. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said auxiliary materials is a carbon material.

3. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said auxiliary materials are carbon materials.

4. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said auxiliary materials is epitaxially grown carbon fiber.

5. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 4, wherein said epitaxially grown carbon fiber has a diameter in a range from 1 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

6. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said epitaxially grown carbon fiber has a length in a range from 20 μ

m to 100 μ

m.

7. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said auxiliary materials is granular graphite.

8. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 7, wherein said granular graphite has an average particle size in a range from 3 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

9. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said activated carbon has an average particle size in a range from 3 μ

m to 30 μ

m.

10. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a mass of said auxiliary materials is in a range from 3% to 20% of a mass of said polarizable electrodes.

11. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 5, wherein said epitaxially grown carbon fiber is mixed in said polarizable electrodes at a rate in a range from ½

to 2 with respect to said granular graphite.

12. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said polarizable electrodes further contain a fluorine containing polymer.

13. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 12, wherein said fluorine containing polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride.

14. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of each of said polarizable electrodes is 200 μ

m or less.

15. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a capacitance per unit volume of an electric double layer formed in an interface between aqueous solution of sulfuric acid and said polarizable electrodes is 15F or more.

16. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of said auxiliary materials is epitaxially grown carbon fiber and the other is granular graphite.

17. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 16, wherein said epitaxially grown carbon fiber is mixed in said polarizable electrodes at a rate in a range from ½

to 2 with respect to said granular graphite.

18. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 17, wherein said epitaxially grown carbon fiber has a diameter in a range from 1 μ

m to 10 μ

m and a length in a range from 20 μ

m to 100 μ

m and said granular graphite has an average particle size in a range from 3 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

19. An electric double layer capacitor as claimed in claim 18, wherein said activated carbon has an average particle size in a range from 3 μ

m to 30 μ

m and said polarizable electrodes further contain a fluorine containing polymer.