• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.719-724
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• 2004

Production of fine tantalum powder by calciothermic reduction of tantalum oxides ($Ta_{2}O_5$) pellet through an electronically mediated reaction (EMR) has been investigated. $Ta_{2}O_5$ pellet feed and reductant calcium-nickel (Ca-Ni) alloy were charged into electronically isolated locations in a molten $CaCl_2$ bath. The current flow through an external path between the feed (cathode) and reductant (anode) locations was monitored. The current approximately 4.7A was measured during the reaction in the external circuit connecting cathode and anode location. Tantalum powder with approximately 99 $mass\%$ purity was readily obtained after each experiment. Tantalum powder by EMR using $Ta_{2}O_5$ pellet feed was fine compared with that of metal powder by metallothermic reduction and EMR using $Ta_{2}O_5$ powder feed.

• New Physics: Sae Mulli
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• v.68 no.12
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• pp.1315-1323
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• 2018

We studied the carbonization due to the annealing condition of waste coffee powder for application as an active anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The coffee powder used as an active anode material for LIBs was obtained from coffee beans, not from a coffee shells. The waste coffee powder was dried in air and heat-treated in an $Ar/H_2$ atmosphere to obtain a pore-forming activated carbon powder. The specific capacity of the sample annealed at $700^{\circ}C$ was still 303 mAh/g after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA/g and with a coulombic efficiency of over 99.5%. The number of pores and the pore size of the waste coffee powder were increased due to chemical treatment with KOH, which had the some effect as an increased specific surface area. The waste coffee powder is considered to be a very promising active anode material because of both its excellent electrochemical properties due to enhanced carrier conduction and its being a cost effective resource for use in LIBs.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.504-511
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• 2011

Nano-sized Sn powder was prepared by pulsed wire evaporation method. The Sn powder and carbon black were charged in jar and ball milled. The milling time was varied with 10 min., 1h, 2h, and 4h, respectively. The milled powders were dried and the shape and size were observed by FE-SEM. Nano-sized Sn powders were plastic-deformed and agglomerated by impact force of balls and heat generated during the SPEX milling. The agglomerated Sn powder also consisted of many nano-sized particles. Initial discharge capacities of milled Sn electrode powders with carbon powder were milled for 10 min., 1h, 2h, and 4h were 787, 829, 827, and 816 mAh/g, respectively. After 5 cycle, discharge capacities of Sn electrode powders with carbon powder milled for 10 min., 1h, 2h, and 4h decreased as 271, 331, 351, and 287 mAh/g, respectively. Because Sn electrode powders milled for 2h constist of uniform and fine size, the cyclability of coin cell made of this powders is better than others.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.857-862
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• 2004

Production of titanium powder directly from tantalum oxides ($TiO_2$) pellet through an electronically mediated reaction (EMR) by calciothermic reduction has been investigated. Feed material ($TiO_2\;pellet$) and reductant (Ca-Ni alloy) were charged into electronically isolated locations in a molten calcium chloride ($CaCl_2$) bath at $950^{\circ}C$. The current flow through an external circuit between the feed (cathode) and reductant (anode) locations was monitored during the reduction of $TiO_2$. The current approximately 3.2A was measured during the reaction in the external circuit connecting cathode and anode location. After the reduction experiment, pure titanium powder with low nickel content was obtained even though Ca-Ni alloy was used as a reductant. These results demonstrate that titanium powder can be produced without direct physical contact between the feed and reductant. In certain experimental conditions, pure titanium powder with approximately $99.5\;mass\%$ purity was successfully obtained.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1965-1968
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• 2008

The effects of carbon-coated silicon/graphite (Si/Gr.) composite anode on the electrochemical properties were investigated. The nanosized silicon particle shows a good cycling performance with a reasonable value of the first reversible capacity as compared with microsized silicon particle. The carbon-coated silicon/graphite composite powders have been prepared by pyrolysis method under argon/10 wt% propylene gas flow at $700{^{\circ}C}$ for 7 h. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicates that the carbon layer thickness of 5 nm was coated uniformly onto the surface silicon powder. It is confirmed that the insertion of lithium ions change the crystalline silicon phase into the amorphous phase by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The carbon-coated composite silicon/graphite anode shows excellent cycling performance with a reversible value of 700 mAh/g. The superior electrochemical characteristics are attributed to the enhanced electronic conductivity and low volume change of silicon powder during cycling by carbon coating.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2015

The composite of porous silicon (Si) and amorphous carbon (C) is prepared by pyrolysis of a nano-porous Si + pitch mixture. The nano-porous Si is prepared by mechanical milling of magnesium powder with silicon monoxide (SiO) followed by removal of MgO with hydrochloric acid (etching process). The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of porous Si ($64.52m^2g^{-1}$) is much higher than that before etching Si/MgO ($4.28m^2g^{-1}$) which indicates pores are formed in Si after the etching process. Cycling stability is examined for the nano-porous Si + C composite and the result is compared with the composite of nonporous Si + C. The capacity retention of the former composite is 59.6% after 50 charge/discharge cycles while the latter shows only 28.0%. The pores of Si formed after the etching process is believed to accommodate large volumetric change of Si during charging and discharging process.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2019

Lithium anodes (13, 15, 17, and 20 wt% Li) were fabricated by mixing molten lithium and iron powder, which was used as a binder to hold the molten lithium, at about $500^{\circ}C$ (discharge temp.). In this study, the effect of applied pressure and lithium content on the discharge properties of a thermal battery's single cell was investigated. A single cell using a Li anode with a lithium content of less than 15 wt% presented reliable performance without any abrupt voltage drop resulting from molten lithium leakage under an applied pressure of less than $6kgf/cm^2$. Furthermore, it was confirmed that even when the solid electrolyte is thinner, the Li anode of the single cell normally discharges well without a deterioration in performance. The Li anode of the single cell presented a significantly improved open-circuit voltage of 2.06 V, compared to that of a Li-Si anode (1.93 V). The cut-off voltage and specific capacity were 1.83 V and $1,380As\;g^{-1}$ (Li anode), and 1.72 V and $1,364As\;g^{-1}$ (Li-Si anode). Additionally, the Li anode exhibited a stable and flat discharge curve until 1.83 V because of the absence of phase change phenomena of Li metal and a subsequent rapid voltage drop below 1.83 V due to the complete depletion of Li at the end state of discharge. On the other hand, the voltage of the Li-Si anode cell decreased in steps, $1.93V{\rightarrow}1.72V(Li_{13}Si_4{\rightarrow}Li_7Si_3){\rightarrow}1.65V(Li_7Si_3{\rightarrow}Li_{12}Si_7)$, according to the Li-Si phase changes during the discharge reaction. The energy density of the Li anode cell was $807.1Wh\;l^{-1}$, which was about 50% higher than that of the Li-Si cell ($522.2Wh\;l^{-1}$).

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.338-343
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• 2015

To prevent an interfacial reaction between the anode and the electrolyte layer during the conventional high-temperature co-firing process, an anode-supported type cell with a thin-film electrolyte was fabricated by low-temperature ceramic thick film coating process. Ni-GDC cermet composite was used as the anode material and YSZ was used as the electrolyte material. Open circuit voltage and maximum power density were found to strongly depend on the surface uniformity of the anode functional layer. By optimizing the microstructure of the anode functional layer, the open circuit voltage and maximum powder density of the cell increased to 1.11 V and $1.35W/cm^2$, respectively, at $750^{\circ}C$. When a GDC barrier layer was applied between the YSZ electrolyte and the LSCF cathode, the cell showed good stability, with almost no degradation up to 100 h. Anode-supported type SOFCs with high performance and good stability were fabricated using a coating process.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.462-469
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• 2021

Tin/graphite composites are prepared as anode materials for Li-ion batteries using a dry ball-milling process. The main experimental variables in this work are the ball milling time (0-8 h) and composition ratio (tin:graphite=5:95, 15:85, and 30:70 w/w) of graphite and tin powder. For comparison, a tin/graphite composite is prepared using wet ball milling. The morphology and structure of the different tin/graphite composites are investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the samples are also examined. The optimal dry ball milling time for the uniform mixing of graphite and tin is 6 h in a graphite-30wt.%Sn sample. The electrode prepared from the composite that is dry-ball-milled for 6 h exhibits the best cycle performance (discharge capacity after 50^th cycle: 308 mAh/g and capacity retention: 46%). The discharge capacity after the 50^th cycle is approximately 112 mAh/g, higher than that when the electrode is composed of only graphite (196 mAh/g after 50^th cycle). This result indicates that it is possible to manufacture a tin/graphite composite anode material that can effectively buffer the volume change that occurs during cycling, even using a simple dry ball-milling process.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.357-361
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• 2014

An Ni-Fe/YSZ core-shell structured anode for uniform microstructure and catalytic activity was synthesized. Flat tubular segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cell-stacks were prepared by decalcomania method using synthesized anode powder. The Ni-Fe/YSZ core-shell anode exhibited better electrical conductivity than a commercially available Ni-YSZ cermet anode. Also power output increased by 1.3 times with a higher open circuit voltage. These results can be attributed to the uniformly distributed Ni particles in the YSZ framework. The impedance spectra of a Ni-Fe/YSZ core-shell anode showed comparable reduced ohmic resistance similar to those of the commercially available Ni-YSZ cermet anodes.