Electrochemical double layer capacitor having carbon powder electrodes

• US 6,955,694 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UCAP Power, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maxwell Technologies Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Nanjundiah, Chenniah, Dispennette, John M., Bendale, Priya, Malay, Manuel R., Chaney, Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HA T
• Application Number:
  US10/356,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 29/250.3, 361/508, 205/768, 205/794.5, 205/786, 205/504, 205/555, 423/447.1, 423/448
• US Class Current: 29/25.03
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/28 arranged or disposed on a current collector; Layers or phases between electrodes and current collectors, e.g. adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/38 Carbon pastes or blends; Binders or additives therein
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/42 Powders or particles, e.g. composition thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/86 specially adapted for electrodes carbonisation or activation of carbon for the manufacture of electrodes H01G11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors

Abstract

A method of making an electrode structure, and a double layer capacitor including the electrode structure, the method includes the steps of: applying a first slurry including conducting carbon powder and a binder to a current collector plate; curing the applied first slurry to form a primary coating; applying a second slurry that includes activated carbon powder, a solvent and a binder to the primary coating; and curing the applied second slurry to form a secondary coating, thereby forming a first electrode. In variations, additional primary and secondary coatings may be formed on both sides of the collector plate.

Claims

1. A method of making an electrode structure for use in a double layer capacitor, comprising the steps of:

providing a current collector plate having a length and a width wherein the length is greater than the width;

applying a first slurry including conducting carbon powder and a binder to a current collector plate while moving the current collector plate lengthwise;

curing the applied first slurry to form a primary coating;

applying a second slurry that includes activated carbon powder, a solvent and a binder to the primary coating while moving the current collector plate lengthwise; and

curing the applied second slurry to form a secondary coating, thereby forming a first electrode

removing portions of the first slurry at edges of the current collector plate while moving the current collector plate lengthwise; and

removing portions of the second slurry at the edges of the current collector plate to form contact edges while moving the current collector plate lengthwise.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proportion of the conducting carbon powder in the first slurry is about 25% to about 90% of the first slurry.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proportion of the activated carbon powder in the second slurry is about 5% to about 40% of the second slurry by weight.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a surface area of the activated carbon powder is between 500 and 2500 m²/g.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a particle size distribution of the activated carbon powder is between 3 and 30 μ

m.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a pore size of the activated carbon powder is between 60 and 500 nm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a capacitance of the first electrode is between 22 and 35 F/g.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first slurry is free of activated carbon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second slurry further comprises conducting carbon powder.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the conducting carbon powder in the second slurry is about 0.01% to about 5% of the second slurry.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing a portion of the applied first slurry prior to curing the applied first slurry to form a contact portion of the current collector plate.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

applying the first slurry to another side of the current collector plate that is opposite of a side of the current collector plate having the first electrode;

curing the applied first slurry to form a second primary coating on the other side of the current collector plate;

applying the second slurry to the second primary coating;

curing the applied second slurry to form a second secondary coating on the second primary coating, thereby forming a first electrode.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

removing a portion of the applied first slurry prior to the curing the applied first slurry step to form a primary coating; and

removing a portion of the applied first slurry of the other side of the current collector plate prior to the curing the applied first slurry step to form the second primary coating.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising treating, prior to the applying the first slurry to the side of the current collector plate having the first electrode, the side of the current collector plate having the first electrode to promote wettability and adhesion with the first slurry.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

treating, prior to the applying the first slurry step, the current collector plate to promote wettability and adhesion with the first slurry.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

removing portions of the first slurry at a center of the current collector plate while moving the current collector plate lengthwise;

removing portions of the second slurry at the center of the current collector plate while moving the current collector plate lengthwise; and

dividing, after the steps of removing portions of the first and second slurries, the first electrode along the center of the current collector plate thereby forming two electrodes;

wherein an edge of each of the two formed electrodes is formed from the center of the current collector plate.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of dividing the first electrode comprises cutting the current collector plate in half down its length.