Lithium Battery Activated Carbon

Active carbon has a key function in the production of lithium ion batteries – it is used as an electrically conducting additive, pore formation agent, and electrolyte purifying substance which increases the electrical conductivity of the electrode, increases the ion transfer efficiency, and eliminates water and dirt from the electrolyte system, thereby achieving the highest efficiency of the battery’s energy density, cycle life, and security.

What Is Lithium Battery Activated Carbon?

Lithium-active carbon is a special class of active carbon that is applied across a variety of functions in the production of lithium ion batteries — comprising an electrode conducting additive, a pore forming agent in an electrode paste formulation, and an electrolyte purifying medium for removal of water, acid impurities, and organic pollutants from a battery grade electrolyte solution prior to the cell assembly.

Different from active carbon for filtering and cleaning purposes, the lithium cell grades are produced according to extremely strict requirements that include BET surface area, electric conduction, grain diameter distribution, humidity, pollution of magnetic particles, and metal impurities. Every single one of them has a direct impact on the properties of the battery – the electrical conductivity, the kinetic properties of the lithium ion transfer, the inner resistance, the storage capacity, the cycle lifetime, and the critical point is the heat and security. Even a tiny amount of metal contamination or humidity in an ACCC can trigger an inner short-circuit, speed up a drop in capacity, or cause a heat loss in a completed battery cell.

With the rapid growth of EV, grid, and EV requirements across the globe, the need for LCI is increasing at a rapid rate – making the choice of material and vendor qualification a key step in the production of the battery cell.

Key Advantages of Lithium Battery Activated Carbon

The selection of appropriate active carbon levels for lithium-ion batteries will have a direct impact on the performance of the cell, the production rate and the long term reliability of the battery. High Performance Lithium Battery Activated Carbon Provides Measurable Benefits in All Key Aspects of Battery Fabrication and Performance:

Enhanced Electrode Conductivity and Rate Capability: Active carbon is used as a conducting agent in both positive and negative electrodes to increase the electrical conductivity of the entire electrode matrix, to decrease the inner resistance, to increase the velocity capacity under the condition of high charge and discharge, and to allow for more rapid charging performance in EV and EV batteries.
Optimized Ion Transport Through Controlled Porosity: Lithium-battery level activated carbon has a well-controlled pore structure that provides inter-connected ionic transfer networks in the electrode - promoting fast Li-ion diffusion to the active material surface, decreasing the concentration polarization at a high discharge rate, and keeping the capacity in the entire working temperature range of the battery cell.
Electrolyte Purification for Improved Cell Safety and Cycle Life: The active carbon bed for purification of the battery electrolyte is capable of eliminating remaining water, HF, organic pollutants, and dissolved metal ions which speed up the breakdown of the electrolyte, contribute to the unstable state of the solid electrolyte (SEI), and raise the risk of heat loss -- direct improvement in the security of the finished cell, first cycle efficiency, and long term cycle lifetime.
Ultra-Low Magnetic Particle and Metal Impurity Content: Strict control over metal pollutants such as Fe, Ni, Cu, and other metal pollutants to parts per million will avoid the formation of an inner short-circuit due to the deposit of metal particulates on the separator film – a key safety rule for auto - grade batteries produced in accordance with IATF 16949 and equivalent QC.
Consistent Particle Size for Uniform Electrode Slurry Processing: Strictly controlled grain size distribution guarantees the rheological properties of the electrode paste, the uniformity of the coating, and the uniformity of the electrode thickness over the high-throughput of the battery electrode.

Because of these properties, active carbon has become an essential function for the entire process of producing a lithium-ion battery – from purifying an electrolyte to producing a final electrode for an EV, a power grid, and a consumer electronic battery cell.

Industry Challenges About Lithium Battery Activated Carbon

Metallic Impurity Contamination Poses Critical Safety Risks

Even parts per million of metal particles such as Fe, Ni, Cu and other metal particles in active carbon may be deposited on the membrane of the cell, resulting in an inner short-circuit, an acceleration of the volume loss, and a heat loss, which constitute an unacceptable security hazard for an auto type lithium battery unit.

Particle Size Consistency Is Critical for Electrode Manufacturing Yield

Inconsistent active carbon grain size distribution results in uneven viscosity of the electrode paste, coating defects, and the thickness of the electrodes on the high speed paint line – a direct reduction in the production rate, an improvement in the capacity of the cell to the cell, and a rise in the cost of quality control in a large scale battery manufacturing plant.

Balancing Conductivity Enhancement Against Active Material Loading

The addition of an active carbon as an electrically conductive additive increases the electrical conductivity of the electrode but takes up space and weight which would otherwise be available as an active cathode or an anode, thus making it necessary to optimize the carbon load in order to achieve maximum electrical conduction efficiency while not causing unacceptable reduction in the energy density of the final battery cell.

Specific Use Scenarios — Lithium Battery Activated Carbon

Cathode Electrode Conductive Additive

The active carbon is integrated into the positive electrode slurry of lithium ion batteries – together with NMC, LFP and NCA – as an electrically conducting additive which creates and maintains an electrical conduction path across the entire electrode matrix. Active carbon decreases the inner resistance of an electrode by bridging a gap between a low-conducting active substance particle and a current collector, increases the rate ability under a high charge and a discharge current, increases the use of the capacity at a low temperature, and keeps the electrode intact in a volume variation related to the interphase of lithium interphase and de-intercalation.

Anode Electrode Modification and Hard Carbon Applications

Active carbon and hard-carbon materials based on biomass, resin, or polymer precursors have been investigated as an alternative to graphite for the anode of a lithium-ion battery — especially in the sodium-ion and next generation Li-ion cells, in which the chaotic carbon structure of active and hard-carbon materials offers a favourable location for the insertion of sodium and lithium ions at a potential and capacity complementary to the traditional graphite anode properties. Hard carbon produced by controlled activation of an organic precursor is becoming the preferred anode for commercial sodium ion battery cells.

Battery Electrolyte Purification

It is necessary to strictly clean a highly pure battery electrolyte solution — usually lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF), which is soluble in an organic carbonate solvent, to eliminate the remaining water, the HF acid, the dissolved metal ions, and the organic pollutants produced in the course of the synthetic and processing of the electrolyte. In an electrolytic cleaning process, an active carbon-filled bed or a mud treatment step is employed to absorb such microparticles, thereby increasing the chemistry of the electrolyte, increasing the quality of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), decreasing the first cycle irreversible capacity loss, and increasing the long term cyclic stability of the completed lithium battery cell.

Electrode Pore-Forming Agent for Ion Transport Enhancement

In certain lithium cell electrode formulations, microactivated carbon grains are integrated into an electrode coating as a pore formation element – creating a controlled pore net in the compression electrode configuration which is conducive to the penetration of electrolyte and the diffusion of lithium ion into the active material surface deep inside the thick electrode. This method is of particular value in the case of a high energy density electrode design, in which an increase in the amount of active material loading per unit area results in an ionic transfer restriction, which decreases the rate ability and the ability of the volume under the condition of insufficient pore control of the electrode.1

Separator Coating and Functional Layer Applications

In R&D, active carbon is being incorporated into a LiBe Separation Paint and Function Interlayers, which can be used to absorb Dissolved Transition Metal Ions, Polysulfides Shuttle Intermediates, and Electrolytic Decomposing Products Accumulation in Cells to Accelerate Degradation. Active carbon functional separation paint absorbs such pollutants prior to their deposition on an electrode or across a partition to contaminate an opposite electrode – increasing cycle life and increasing storage capacity in an advanced lithium-ion cell chemistry.

Formation Gas and Electrolyte Additive Purification

In the period of the formation of a lithium battery cell – an initial charge/discharge period which creates a SEI layer and activation of a cell – the production of gas from the breakdown of the electrolyte and the residual water will result in a cellular expansion, a drop in volume, and an inner pressure build-up that threatens the integrity of the cell. Active carbon is employed in a gas processing system for a battery production installation for trapping and removal of the organic solvent vapour, fluorine, and poisonous gases that are released in the course of formation circulation and electrolyte filling operations.

Battery Recycling and End-of-Life Material Processing

With the increasing speed of EV/EV fleet nearing their end of life, active carbon is being used in the recycling of batteries and hydrometallurgy — particularly in purifying the flow of Li, Co, Ni and Mn from the Black Mass Leach Solution. Active Carbon Absorption Phase: Removal of Organic Impurities, Remaining Electrode Binding Compounds and Micro Pollutants from Metallic Recycling Liquid.

Our Lithium Battery Activated Carbon Advantages

Superior Electrode Conductivity Enhancement for Higher Rate Performance

Lithium battery-grade activated carbon, used as a conductive additive, significantly enhances the electronic conductivity of electrodes. It reduces internal resistance, improves rate capability under high charge-discharge currents, and facilitates faster charging in lithium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles and consumer electronics.

Ultra-Low Impurity Content for Enhanced Cell Safety and Cycle Life

Strict control of metallic contaminants, magnetic particles, and moisture in line with battery-grade standards prevents internal short circuits, inhibits SEI instability, and lowers the risk of thermal runaway. This directly boosts the safety ratings of finished battery cells, improves first-cycle coulombic efficiency, and enhances long-term capacity retention throughout the entire service life of the battery.

Precision Electrolyte Purification for Optimized Cell Formation and Performance

High-purity activated carbon eliminates residual moisture, HF acid, dissolved metals, and organic impurities from battery electrolyte solutions prior to cell filling. This process improves the chemical stability of the electrolyte, enhances the quality of SEI formation, reduces irreversible capacity loss during formation cycling, and optimizes the energy density and cycle life of finished lithium battery cells.

Find All Activated Carbon Categories

Lithium battery performance starts with the selection of active carbon grades produced to the stringent purity, electrical conductivity, and grain size requirements required by battery cell quality standards. We have a wide variety of active carbon products that contain ultra low metal impurities, BET surface area, and finely regulated humidity levels – designed especially for the use of electrodes, electrolyte, and hard-carbon applications. Look through our full catalogue to compare specs and determine the correct grade for your cell production.

Find All Industrial Solutions

The production of lithium batteries is one of the most important applications in the fast growing field of advanced material problems, in which high performance chemical materials provide critical functional value. Regardless of whether you operate in the fields of energy storage, water-processing, industrial gas cleaning, air-pollution management, or environmental remediation, we use active carbon, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide and other sophisticated materials. Search for appropriate materials and handling methods for your particular use and performance needs.

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