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Effects of Vapor Grown Carbon Fiber Substitution for Conductive Carbon in Anode Systems for LiB Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2013

Yu Kambe
Affiliation:
Cornell U. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ithaca NY, 14853, U.S.A.
Alberto J. Fernandes
Affiliation:
Cornell U. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ithaca NY, 14853, U.S.A.
Lynden A. Archer
Affiliation:
Cornell U. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ithaca NY, 14853, U.S.A.
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Abstract

Isotropic and anisotropic conductive carbon particles, carbon black (CB) and vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF), were incorporated into a Lithium Titanate (LTO) battery anode material composition, and their effect on conductivity and electrochemical properties investigated. Nanocomposite electrodes comprised of LTO, polyvinyldine floride (PVDF) and as little as 5 wt% VGCF are reported to manifest more than one order of magnitude enhancement in conductivity over their CB counterparts. VGCF-based anodes are also found to exhibit more stable voltage discharge profiles and as much as 20% improvement in capacity retention during extended electrochemical cycling at charge/discharge rates as high as 2.625 A/g (15 C). Remarkably, we find that the benefits of VGCF relative to CB conductivity aids diminish at higher particle loadings and that a LTO anode formulation containing 5 wt% CB | 5 wt% VGCF yields optimal capacity retention. At 5C, this composite system outperformed both the 10 wt% VGCF and 10 wt% CB electrode systems by delivering 20% higher capacity during extended charge/discharge cycling. We explain this finding in terms of two synergetic effects: enhanced electrode conductivity facilitated by incorporation of a percolated network of anisotropic VGCF particles; and shorter transport distances between the insulative LTO and high surface area CB.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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References

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