Carbon materials comprising enhanced electrochemical properties

• US 9,269,502 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF SE
• Original Assignee: BASF SE
• Inventors: Chang, Alan T., Costantino, Henry R., Feaver, Aaron M., Oppie, Amalia L., Pan, Yangyang, Cover, Liam, Scott, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hai
• Application Number:
  US13/336,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20120202033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 428/315.5, 428/315.7, 423/445.R, 429/231.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/30 Active carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/318 characterised by the starting materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/12 Surface area
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/14 Pore volume
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/16 Pore diameter
• 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 11/44 Raw materials therefor, e.g. resins or coal
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/054 Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/133 Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/14 Electrodes for lead-acid accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/583 Carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/44 Fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249979 : Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension

Abstract

The present application is directed to carbon materials comprising an optimized pore structure. The carbon materials comprise enhanced electrochemical properties and find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, as electrode material in ultracapacitors. Methods for making the disclosed carbon materials are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A carbon material comprising a pore structure, the pore structure comprising micropores, mesopores and a total pore volume, wherein from 80% to 90% of the total pore volume resides in micropores, from 10% to 20% of the total pore volume resides in mesopores, provided that less than 10% of the total pore volume resides in pores greater than 20 nm.

2. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein less than 5% of the total pore volume resides in pores greater than 20 nm.

3. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

4. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 100 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

5. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 50 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

6. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.03% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

7. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.01% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

8. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.001% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

9. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises at least 95% carbon by weight as measured by combustion analysis and proton induced x-ray emission.

10. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 10 ppm iron as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

11. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 3 ppm nickel as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

12. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 30 ppm sulfur as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

13. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm chromium as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

14. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm copper as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

15. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm zinc as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

16. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 100 ppm sodium, less than 100 ppm silicon, less than 10 ppm sulfur, less than 25 ppm calcium, less than 10 ppm iron, less than 2 ppm nickel, less than 1 ppm copper, less than 1 ppm chromium, less than 50 ppm magnesium, less than 10 ppm aluminum, less than 25 ppm phosphorous, less than 5 ppm chlorine, less than 25 ppm potassium, less than 2 ppm titanium, less than 2 ppm manganese, less than 0.5 ppm cobalt and less than 5 ppm zinc as measured by proton induced x-ray emission, and wherein all other elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 are undetected by proton induced x-ray emission.

17. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 50 ppm sodium, less than 50 ppm silicon, less than 30 ppm sulfur, less than 10 ppm calcium, less than 10 ppm iron, less than 1 ppm nickel, less than 1 ppm copper, less than 1 ppm chromium and less than 1 ppm zinc as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

18. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 3.0% oxygen, less than 0.1% nitrogen and less than 0.5% hydrogen as determined by combustion analysis.

19. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1.0% oxygen as determined by combustion analysis.

20. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a pyrolyzed polymer cryogel.

21. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises an activated polymer cryogel.

22. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 500 m²/g.

23. The carbon material of claim 22, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

24. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 1500 m²/g.

25. The carbon material of claim 24, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

26. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 2000 m²/g.

27. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a pore volume of at least 0.60 cc/g.

28. The carbon material of claim 27, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

29. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a pore volume of at least 1.00 cc/g.

30. The carbon material of claim 29, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

31. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a pore volume of at least 1.50 cc/g.

32. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a pore volume of at least 2.00 cc/g.

33. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 200 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

34. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein less than 2.5% of the total pore volume resides in pores greater than 20 nm.

35. The carbon material of claim 1, wherein less than 1% of the total pore volume resides in pores greater than 20 nm.