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The paper is devoted to the development of lithium-ion battery grade negative electrode active materials with higher reversible capacity than that offered by conventional graphite. The authors report on results of their experiments as related to the electrochemical performance of silicon-based materials for lithium-ion batteries. A commercial grade of spherically shaped natural graphite (FormulaBT™ SLA1025) was modified in a number of different ways with nano-sized silicon. The reversible capacity of SLA1025 modified by 9.2 wt% of the nano-sized amorphous silicon was seen to be as high as 590 mAh g−1. The irreversible capacity loss with this compound was 20%. Lithium-ion batteries using such material were observed to display sharp capacity decay during prolonged cycling. In contrast, the reversible capacity of another experimental grade, the SLA1025 modified by 7.9 wt% of the carbon-coated Si was as high as 604 mAh g−1. The irreversible capacity loss with this material was as low as 8.1%. This grade, also, was seen to display much better cycling performance than the baseline natural graphite. A series of full lithium-ion rechargeable cells were developed in the CR2016 coin cell configuration. Higher specific capacity of graphite modified by silicon was observed. This allowed decreasing graphite content in the lithium-ion cells by a factor of 1.6. The resultant lithium-ion batteries after optimization of their composition displayed approximately 20% higher gravimetric and volumetric specific energy densities than lithium-ion battery based on conventional natural graphite.

Authors introduce an ultrahigh-temperature (i.e., 2500–3000 °C) continuous fluidized bed furnace, in which the key operating variable is specific electrical resistance of the bed. A correlation has been established to predict the specific electrical resistance for the natural graphite-based precursors. Fluid dynamics models have been validated with the data from a fully functional prototype reactor. Data collected demonstrated that the difference between the calculated and measured values of specific resistance is approximately 25%; due to chaotic nature of electrothermal fluidized bed processes, this discrepancy was deemed acceptable. Optimizations proposed allow producing natural graphite-based end product with the purity level of 99.98 + wt. %C for battery markets.

A gas diffusion layer (GDL) for proton exchange membrane fuel cell has been developed using a new form of partially ordered graphitized nano-carbon black (PUREBLACK® Carbon). This material represents a new class of nano-carbons jointly developed by Superior Graphite Co. and Columbian Chemicals Co. The GDL was characterized by physico-chemical as well as electrochemical methods. The unique process developed for GDL fabrication exhibits excellent fuel cell performance using hydrogen/air at ambient pressure. The microstructure as seen under scanning electron microscope shows excellent surface morphology without any cracks. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with PUREBLACK® Carbon based GDLs shows power density as high as 0.55 W/cm2 at 70 °C using hydrogen/air as reactants without any back pressure. Keywords: PEM fuel cells, Membrane electrodes assembly, Gas diffusion layers, Electrochemical measurements, PUREBLACK® Carbon, Partially graphitized carbon black

Graphitization heat treatment of a precursor carbon black was seen to effectively produce a wide variety of forms of partially graphitized nano-sized carbonaceous materials with a set of unique properties, some of which are reported in this paper in comparison with those properties of the precursor carbon material. These novel materials were given the name of PUREBLACK ® Carbons. Among some of the unique properties are: higher conductivity than that of acetylene type carbon blacks due to PUREBLACK ® Carbon's particles having more graphitic structure; very low to zero volatile content (external oxygen, sulfur, etc., groups, which are often believed to be the cause of initiation of self-discharge reactions in batteries); very low equilibrium moisture pickup (20 ppm level), which makes it particularly attractive in lithium metal or lithium-ion based electrochemical systems; high purity. Electrochemical testing of the newly proposed PUREBLACK ® Carbons in several battery systems offers significant promise that it presents a viable solution to the needs of industry.

The main advantage of carbon material treatment in electro-thermal furnaces with fluidized bed [EFFB] at 2000–3000C is that they allow producing graphite of high chemical purity, which is especially important in manufacture of ion-lithium batteries. The team conducted extensive research into hydraulic and heat modes of such units and developed a methodology for their design based on the concept of increase in electric resistance with fluidization. The choice of the working space configuration and the operation mode of EFFB are largely determined by the specific electrical resistance [SER] of the fluidized bed. This parameter is a complex function of a number of factors: fluidization character, uniformity of the bed and the temperature, nature and size of the material fractions, current density and furnace atmosphere composition. It is vital to take into account relationships between SER, working temperature T and current density i, which eventually define electrothermal mode of the unit operation. Thus, if graphite size is d = 130μm within temperature range T = 0–2500C and current density i = 0,004–1.0 A/cm2, SER varies in reverse proportion to these parameters Statistic processing of the experimental data allowed to obtain regressive function SER = f (i, t), which we used as the basis of mathematic modeling, heat balance calculation and predicting transitory and operation modes of EFFB with 10kg/hour productivity: SER=0.01.84.711-2.,593*10-2.T-46.854*i+1.205*10-2.T*i,Ω-m′ Resulting volt-ampere characteristics (VACs) of the furnace have maximum values at constant temperature (T = const) which is explained by the non-linear character of the SER function. There exists a technological temperature limit of EFFB responsible for its stable operation. The furnace operation beyond the stability margin depends on the power source characteristics which may cause a sharp power drop or a shorting. The VAC characteristics are determined by the type of material, geometry of the furnace working space, electrode diameter, active zone height, the gap between the electrode and the lining, design of heat insulation and the cooling system. Taking these parameters into consideration, it is possible to conduct a preliminary analysis of the unit stable operation modes as early as during the design stage.

Final report on the US DOE CARAT program describes innovative R & D conducted by Superior Graphite Co., Chicago, IL, USA in cooperation with researchers from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and defines the proper type of carbon and a cost effective method for its production, as well as establishes a US based manufacturer for the application of anodes of the Lithium-Ion, Lithium polymer batteries of the Hybrid Electric and Pure Electric Vehicles. The three materials each representing a separate class of graphitic carbon, have been developed and released for field trials. They include natural purified flake graphite, purified vein graphite and a graphitized synthetic carbon. Screening of the available on the market materials, which will help fully utilize the graphite, has been carried out.