High surface area carbon materials and methods for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9640333-B2
Application number	US-201314042842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

In a method of making a high surface area carbon material, a precursor organic material is prepared. The precursor organic material is subjected to a first elevated temperature while applying a gaseous purge thereto for a first predetermined time. The precursor organic material is subjected to a second elevated temperature while not applying the gaseous purge thereto for a second predetermined time after the first predetermined time. A high surface area carbon material includes carbon and has a surface area in a range between 3029 m 2 /g to 3565 m 2 /g and a pore volume in a range between 1.66 cm 3 /g and 1.90 cm 3 /g. The high surface area carbon material may be employed in an electrode for a supercapacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a high surface area carbon material, comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a precursor organic material in a form selected from a list consisting of: a film, a fiber and a powder;
(b) subjecting the precursor organic material to a first elevated temperature while applying a gaseous purge thereto for a first predetermined time;
(c) subjecting the precursor organic material to a second elevated temperature while not applying the gaseous purge thereto for a second predetermined time after the first predetermined time, thereby generating a heat treated precursor organic material;
(d) soaking the heat treated precursor organic material in an inorganic compound for a third predetermined time after the second predetermined time;
(e) subjecting the heat treated precursor organic material to a third elevated temperature for a fourth predetermined time after the third predetermined time, so as to dry the heat treated precursor organic material; and
(f) activating the heat treated precursor organic material so as to generate pores therein by subjecting the precursor organic material to a fourth elevated temperature for a fifth predetermined time after the fourth predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor organic material comprises a material selected from a group of materials consisting of: a homopolymer polyacrylonitrile (PAN) film, a homopolymer polyacrylonitrile (PAN) powder, a copolymer polyacrylonitrile (PAN) film, a copolymer polyacrylonitrile (PAN) powder, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic material comprises an ionic material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the ionic material comprises KOH.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first elevated temperature is 285° C., wherein the second elevated temperature is 285° C., and wherein the third elevated temperature is 800° C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activating step occurs in an inert environment.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
(a) washing the organic material; and
(b) drying the organic material after the washing step.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein step of subjecting the precursor organic material to a first elevated temperature occurs in a reaction chamber and wherein the gaseous purge comprises forcing air into the reaction chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of subjecting the precursor organic material to a second elevated temperature while not applying the gaseous purge includes venting gases produced by the precursor organic material but not introducing any additional gases to the precursor organic material.

Assignees

• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Kumar Satish
• Gupta Kishor Kumar

Classifications

• H01G11/24 Primary

  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 title

• C01P2006/12

  Surface area · CPC title

• C01B31/02

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C01B31/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• H01G11/44

  Raw materials therefor, e.g. resins or coal · CPC title