From by-product of the petrol gasification to carbon black in lithium-ion batteries – Novel electron-conductive agents

Abstract

Different kinds of carbonaceous conducting additives are used by Li-ion battery (LIB) manufacturers to boost the electrode conductance. Due to their porous structure, carbon additives improve the electrode–electrolyte contact. This study was focused on Chezacarb^® AC-10, AC-50 and AC-60 carbon additives performance in application with lithium-cobalt oxide (LCO) cathode. Chezacarb^® AC carbon blacks are the by-product of the gasification of heavy petroleum in the process of non-catalytic oxidation in SHELL reactors. Structural and electrochemical characterizations were performed. Chezacarb^® AC additives had comparable performance to Super P carbon black, indicating that they could be potential conducting additives for Li-ion. The advantage of Chezacarb^® AC additives can be observed especially during fast charging – the capacity is visibly higher comparing to Super P carbon black which shows a significant improvement of the electronic conductivity of cathode’. Also, as Chezacarb^® AC are by-products, they have an advantage of being a “green component” of the battery. In addition to the undoubtedly promising electrochemical results, the presented article is a proof of the possibility of cooperation between academia and industry. It shows how to manage the waste substance and thus answers the question of how to implement the principles of closed-loop economy in practice.