About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T23: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Energy Materials for Sustainable Development
|
| Presentation Title |
Application of Coal-derived Graphites as Lithium-ion Battery Anodes |
| Author(s) |
Kody Wolfe, Caleb Gula, Abigail Paul, Yahya Al-Majali, John Staser, Jason Trembly |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kody Wolfe |
| Abstract Scope |
Alongside the growing demand for energy storage, demand for critical raw materials is driving research efforts toward alternative sources and processing methods. The standard anode for lithium-ion batteries is composed of >95% graphite and, presently, graphite is sourced via either import of natural graphite or manufacture of synthetic graphite using petroleum coke as a carbon source. As domestic manufacturing of batteries increases, we must consider additional sources of carbon for graphite production. Coal and coal-derived materials are promising thanks to their inherently high levels of sp2 hybridized carbon, regional abundance, and in-place infrastructure. Herein, the ability to produce high-quality graphite through thermal processing of coals and the use of coal-derived graphite from various sources as lithium-ion anodes is demonstrated. The microstructure and morphology of the produced graphite is studied and compared to the electrochemical performance. Finally, considerations and improvements necessary for industrial acceptance are discussed. |