Utilization of Hard Carbon As a Substitute for Graphite As Efficient Lithium Battery Anode Material

Lithium battery anode plates were made from sugar processed into hard carbon by high temperature carbonization in an autoclave. Sucrose was dissolved in water at 60 ⁰C, mixed thereafter with naphthalene. The hard carbon is purifies with HCl and distilled water. Nano-hard carbons1,2 are 3-dimensional and notably larger than the 2-dimensional graphenes3-5. Anode plates were prepared by homogenizing the sonicated graphene in PVDF saturated NMP (0.53% NMP; 4% super-P carbon black; and 2.25wt% PVDF) for 1 hr. The anode slurry was coated on the copper plates using automatic doctor blade film coater at a speed of 100mm/min. Anode plates were dried at 80 ⁰C for and cured for 120 ⁰C for 2 hrs and 24 hrs respectively, in vacuum oven. Coin cells of NMC//HC were made and tested in CT2001A. The capacity of 48 µm thick and 28.2 g/m2 anode cycled at 1C was ~49.70 mAhg-1, which is a replaceable anode material for lithium-ion batteries to 67 µm thick and 33.9 g/m2 graphite anode with a capacity of 60.62 mAhg-1.