• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 2012

Mesoporous anatase $TiO_2$ nanoparticles have been synthesized by a hydrothermal method using a tri-block copolymer as a soft template. The resulting $TiO_2$ materials have a high specific surface area of $230\;m^2/g$, a predominant pore size of 6.8 nm and a pore volume of 0.404 mL/g. The electrochemical properties of mesoporous anatase $TiO_2$ for lithium ion battery (LIB) anode materials have been investigated by typical coin cell tests. The initial discharge capacity of these materials is 240 mAh/g, significantly higher than the theoretical capacity (175 mAh/g) of LTO ($Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$). Although the discharge capacity decreases with the C-rate increase, the mesoporous $TiO_2$ is very promising for LIB anode because the surface for the Li insertion is presented significantly with mesopores. Nitrogen doping has a certain effect to control the capacity decrease by improving the electron transport in $TiO_2$ framework.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2014

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are the state-of-the-art technology among electrochemical energy storage and conversion cells, and are still considered the most attractive class of battery in the future due to their high specific energy density, high efficiency, and long cycle life. Rapid development of power-hungry commercial electronics and large-scale energy storage applications (e.g. off-peak electrical energy storage), however, requires novel anode materials that have higher energy densities to replace conventional graphite electrodes. Germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) are thought to be ideal prospect candidates for next generation LIB anodes due to their extremely high theoretical energy capacities. For instance, Ge offers relatively lower volume change during cycling, better Li insertion/extraction kinetics, and higher electronic conductivity than Si. In this focused review, we briefly describe the basic concepts of LIBs and then look at the characteristics of ideal anode materials that can provide greatly improved electrochemical performance, including high capacity, better cycling behavior, and rate capability. We then discuss how, in the future, Ge anode materials (Ge and Ge oxides, Ge-carbon composites, and other Ge-based composites) could increase the capacity of today's Li batteries. In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to fulfill the requirements of excellent anode materials, especially using these materials at the nanoscale. This article shall serve as a handy reference, as well as starting point, for future research related to high capacity LIB anodes, especially based on semiconductor Ge and Si.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.76-87
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• 2022

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted much interest for their high energy density (>150 mAh/g), high capacity, low self-discharge rate, and high coulombic efficiency. However, with the successful commercialization of LIBs, fire and explosion incidents are likely to increase. The thermal runaway is known as the major factor in battery-related accidents that can lead to a series of critical conditions. Considering this, recent studies have shown an increased interest in countering the safety issues associated with LIBs. Although safety standards for LIB use have recently been formulated, little attention has been paid to the safety around the manufacturing process for battery products. The present study introduces a risk assessment method suitable for assessing the safety of the LIB-manufacturing process. In the assessment method, a compensation parameter (Z-factor) is employed to correctly evaluate the process's safety on the basis of the type of material (e.g., metal anode, liquid electrolyte, solid-state electrolytes) utilized in a cell. The proposed method has been applied to an 18650 cell-manufacturing process, and three sub-processes have been identified as possibly vulnerable parts (risk index: >4). This study offers some crucial insights into the establishment of safety standards for battery-manufacturing processes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.474-480
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• 2022

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are powerful energy storage devices with several advantages, including high energy density, large voltage window, high cycling stability, and eco-friendliness. However, demand for ultrafast charge/discharge performance is increasing, and many improvements are needed in the electrode which contains the carbon-based active material. Among LIB electrode components, the conductive additive plays an important role, connecting the active materials and enhancing charge transfer within the electrode. This impacts electrical and ionic conductivity, electrical resistance, and the density of the electrode. Therefore, to increase ultrafast cycling performance by enhancing the electrical conductivity and density of the electrode, we complexed Ketjen black and graphene and applied conductive agents. This electrode, with the composite conductive additives, exhibited high electrical conductivity (12.11 S/cm), excellent high-rate performance (28.6 mAh/g at current density of 3,000 mA/g), and great long-term cycling stability at high current density (88.7 % after 500 cycles at current density of 3,000 mA/g). This excellent high-rate performance with cycling stability is attributed to the increased electrical conductivity, due to the increased amount of graphene, which has high intrinsic electrical conductivity, and the high density of the electrode.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1957

The mobilities and the electrophoretic phenomena of human serum albumin, and of horse serum albumin, etc., on paper were reported, but there is no information about the mobility and the electrophoretic phenomena of ovalbumin. In this study they are determined and considered at various time durations. The mean value of this mobility is compared with the value determined by the electrophoresis in solution. Also, the mobilities of the electroendosmotic flow, which affect on the mobility seriously, are determined at various time durations. Apparatus and method used, are a closed system type and a method with electrode vessels. It is concluded that: 1) The mobilities of ovalbumin have the nearly constant mobilities at six and eight hours of time durations, but it decreases at ten hours of long time duration. Their mean value is (0.243 ${\pm}$ 0.003)cm./hr./v./cm. toward anode at pH 8.0. 2) Under these experimental conditions, ovalbumin cannot be separated into three fractions (A1, A2, A3) on paper. 3) Most of the factors, which affect on the mobility, are fixed by the initial experimental conditions, but the electroendosmotic flow due to the characteristic capillarity of paper is measured. Then, the mean value of its mobilities shows the good constancy, and the value is (0.073 ${\pm}$ 0.0003)cm/hr./v./cm. toward cathode at pH 8.0. 4) By the above facts, if the same paper and the same experimental conditions are chosen, it may be preferred to determine the mobility of the electroendosmotic flow once time, even when many observations are required.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.410-416
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• 2021

To improve the capacity and stability of natural graphite, the electrochemical performances were investigated by using the prepared natural graphite coated with petroleum pitch for anode materials. The pitch coated natural graphite was prepared using a dry speed mixer by adjusting the rotation speed of the mixer, time, composition of graphite and softening point of the pitch. The physical properties of the anode material were analyzed using SEM, TEM, and PSD. The electrochemical performances were investigated by cycle, C-rate, EIS and CV test. When the pitch coated natural graphite was tested in the condition of 9000 RPM, 10 wt%, 2 h, and softening point of 150 ℃, it showed the highest capacity of 324.5 mAh/g at 0.1 C and a capacity retention rate of 98.9% after 50 cycles. In the test for evaluating rate performance, the capacity retention rate (5 C/0.1 C) was 80.3% and was improved by about 1.7 times over the pristine natural graphite.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.439-445
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• 2022

In this study, Silicon and petroleum pitch were coated on the surface of Si/C fiber manufactured using electrospinning to improve the electrochemical performances. SiO₂/PAN fiber was prepared by electrospinning with TEOS and PAN at various ratios dissolved in DMF. The characteristics of carbonization, reduction, and pitch coating processes were investigated for the optimal process of the pitch coated Si/C fiber anode composite. Anode composite prepared with TEOS/PAN = 4/6 (CR-46) after carbonization and reduction process has a capacity of 657 mAh/g. To improve capacity and stability, Si powder and PFO pitch were coated at the surface of CR-46. When the pitch composition was fixed at 10 wt%, it was found that the capacity increased as the weight ratio of silicon increased, but the stability decreased. The pitch coated Si/C fiber composite with 10 wt% silicon has high capacity of 982.4 mAh/g and capacity retention of 86.1%. In the test to evaluate rate performance, the rate capability was 80.2% (5C/0.1C).

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2019

As a promising candidate for anode materials in lithium ion battery (LIB), tungsten trioxide ($WO_3$) and tungsten disulfide ($WS_2$) nanocrystals were synthesized, and their electrochemical properties were comprehensibly studied using a half cell. One-dimensional $WO_3$ nanowires with uniform diameter of 10 nm were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and two-dimensional (2D) $WS_2$ nanosheets by unique gas phase sulfurization of $WO_3$ using $H_2S$. $WS_2$ nanosheets exhibits uniformly 10 nm thickness. The $WO_3$ nanowires and $WS_2$ nanosheets showed maximum capacities of 552 and $633mA\;h\;g^{-1}$, respectively, after 100 cycles. Especially, the capacity of $WS_2$ is significantly larger than the theoretical capacity ($433mA\;h\;g^{-1}$). We also examined the cycling performance using a larger size $WO_3$ and $WS_2$ nanocrystals, showing that the smaller size plays an important role in enhancing the capacity of LIBs. The larger capacity of $WS_2$ nanosheets than the theoretical value is ascribed to the lower charge transfer resistance of 2D nanostructures.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.58-69
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• 2019

High performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted considerable attention as essential energy sources for high-technology electrical devices such as electrical vehicles, unmanned drones, uninterruptible power supply, and artificial intelligence robots because of their high energy density (150-250 Wh/kg), long lifetime (> 500 cycles), low toxicity, and low memory effects. Of the high-performance LIB components, cathode materials have a significant effect on the capacity, lifetime, energy density, power density, and operating conditions of high-performance LIBs. This is because cathode materials have limitations with respect to a lower specific capacity and cycling stability as compared to anode materials. In addition, cathode materials present difficulties when used with LIBs in electric vehicles because of their poor rate performance. Therefore, this study summarizes the structural and electrochemical properties of cathode materials for LIBs used in electric vehicles. In addition, we consider unique strategies to improve their structural and electrochemical properties.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.51-60
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• 2010

A study on the recovery of cobalt and lithium from Lithium Ion Battery(LIB) scraps has been carried out by a physical treatment - leaching - solvent extraction process. The cathode scraps of LIB in production were used as a material of this experiment. The best condition for recovering cobalt from the anode scraps was acquired in each process. The cathode scraps are dissolved in 2M sulfuric acid solution with hydrogen peroxide at $95^{\circ}C$, 700 rpm. The cobalt is concentrated from the leaching solution by means of a solvent extraction circuit with bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid(D2EHPA) and PC88A in kerosene, and then cobalt and lithium are recovered as cobalt hydroxide and lithium carbonate by precipitation technology. The purity of cobalt oxide powder was over 99.98% and the average particle size after milling was about 10 lim. The over all recoveries are over 95% for cobalt and lithium. The pilot test of mechanical separation was carried out for the recovery of cobalt from the scraps. The $Co_3O_4$ powder was made by the heat treatment of $Co(OH)_2$ and the average particle size was about 10 ${\mu}m$ after grinding. The recovery was over 99% for cobalt and lithium each other and the purity of cobalt oxide was over 99.98%.