Carbon nanotube modified carbon felt electrode and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a carbon nanotube modified carbon felt electrode and a preparation method and application thereof. The method comprises the following steps: providing an initial carbon felt electrode; and placing the initial carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp, and firing at a preset firing temperature for a preset time so as to grow a carbon nanotube on the initial carbon felt electrode in situ, thereby obtaining a target carbon felt electrode. According to the preparation method of the carbon nanotube modified carbon felt electrode disclosed by the embodiment of the invention, the carbon felt electrode is placed on the alcohol-based fuel lamp, and the carbon nanotube is grown in situ by firing the carbon felt electrode at the preset firing temperature for the preset time, so that the preparation method is simple, and the hydrophilicity and catalytic activity of a carbon felt electrode material in a flow battery can be improved; and the current density of the flow battery is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure belong to the field of electrochemical technology, and specifically relate to a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode and a preparation method and application thereof. Background Art

[0002] Redox flow batteries are highly scalable and flexible in terms of energy and power, making them suitable for long-duration energy storage systems. Electrodes are key components of flow batteries, directly affecting key parameters such as the battery's charge and discharge current density and energy efficiency. Furthermore, the chemical and mechanical stability of the electrodes also restrict battery performance degradation and lifespan. There are many types of electrode materials, among which carbon felt electrodes are widely used due to their good conductivity and strong corrosion resistance. However, carbon felt still has some drawbacks, such as poor hydrophilicity and electrochemical activity, which need to be further improved.

[0003] Carbon nanotube modification is one of the commonly used modification methods for carbon felt. Carbon nanotubes can increase the specific surface area of ​​carbon felt, which is conducive to electrochemical reactions. At the same time, they are filled between the carbon fibers of carbon felt, increasing the conductive channels and improving the conductivity of carbon felt. Furthermore, after carbon nanotube filling, the apparent density of carbon felt increases, and the mechanical properties, size and structural stability are improved.

[0004] However, the current carbon nanotube loading process is complex and costly, requiring the use of special atmospheres or vapor deposition, making it unsuitable for large-scale production. Simply coating the carbon nanotubes cannot guarantee their stability in bonding with carbon felt during battery operation. For example, Wei et al. (Journal of Power Sources, 2012, 220:185-192) modified the carbon felt by directly growing carbon nanotubes on it using vapor deposition. Chinese patent application CN115881981A uses small molecule hydrocarbon compounds (toluene or methane) at high temperatures of 700-900°C to grow carbon nanotubes on carbon felt. Chinese patent application CN117756233A mixes hydroxylated carbon nanotubes, a binder, and a solvent to obtain a dispersion; immerses the pretreated carbon felt in the dispersion, fully impregnated, and then dries it; calcines the dried product, and cools it to obtain a carbon felt-loaded hydroxylated carbon nanotube cathode material. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure aim to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and disclose a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode and a preparation method and application thereof.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, the method comprising:

[0007] providing an initial carbon felt electrode;

[0008] The initial carbon felt electrode is placed on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burned at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0009] In some possible embodiments, placing the initial carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burning it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode includes:

[0010] The initial carbon felt electrode is burned at the preset burning temperature for a preset time using the inner flame of the alcohol-based fuel lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0011] In some possible embodiments, the preset time range is 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the preset time is 15 minutes.

[0013] In some possible embodiments, the preset burning temperature range is 400°C to 800°C.

[0014] In some possible embodiments, the preset burning temperature is 600°C.

[0015] In some possible embodiments, the alcohol-based fuel lamp includes an alcohol lamp.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a carbon felt electrode modified with carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon felt electrode is prepared using the method described above.

[0017] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an application of a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode in a liquid flow battery, wherein the carbon felt electrode is prepared using the method described above.

[0018] The carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode and its preparation method and application in the embodiments of the present invention are achieved by placing the carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burning it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to grow carbon nanotubes in situ. This preparation method is simple and can improve the hydrophilicity and catalytic activity of the carbon felt electrode material in the liquid flow battery, thereby increasing the current density of the liquid flow battery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic and that components and elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0020] Figure 1 The present invention is a flow chart of a method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It is apparent that the described embodiments are only a portion of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without the need for creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0022] Unless otherwise specified, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure should be understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. The "including" or "comprising" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure neither limits the shapes, numbers, steps, actions, operations, components, originals and / or their groups mentioned, nor excludes the appearance or addition of one or more other different shapes, numbers, steps, actions, operations, components, originals and / or their groups, or the addition of these. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number and order of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0023] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangements of the components and steps, numerical expressions, and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn in accordance with actual proportional relationships, and that the techniques, methods, and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods, and devices shown should be considered part of the authorized specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific other examples may have different values. It should be noted that similar symbols and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features of the different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0025] Figure 1 Flowchart of a method for preparing a carbon felt electrode modified with carbon nanotubes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, a method for preparing a carbon felt electrode modified with carbon nanotubes includes the following steps S101 and S102:

[0026] Step S101: providing an initial carbon felt electrode.

[0027] Step S102: placing the initial carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp, and burning at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0028] Specifically, in this step, the initial carbon felt electrode can be burned at a predetermined burning temperature and for a predetermined time using the inner flame of the alcohol-based fuel lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode, thereby obtaining the target carbon felt electrode. The alcohol-based fuel lamp can be, for example, an alcohol lamp. The burning flame of an alcohol lamp is divided into three parts: the flame core: the dark and blue portion in the center, composed of combustible but unburned gas; the inner flame: the brightest portion surrounding the flame core, representing the incompletely burned portion of gas and containing carbon particles; and the outer flame: the outermost pale yellow or transparent region, representing the completely burned portion of gas, containing excess and intensely hot air and exerting an oxidizing effect, also known as an oxidizing flame. The inventors of the present disclosure have discovered that using the flame core of an alcohol lamp for burning is unsuitable for treatment due to its small flame core area. Using the outer flame for burning results in excessive combustion of the ethanol, preventing carbon nanotubes from forming on the carbon felt. Therefore, in this embodiment, the inner flame of an alcohol lamp is used for burning, thereby better enabling in-situ growth of carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode, thereby obtaining the target carbon felt electrode.

[0029] In some possible embodiments, the preset time range is 10 minutes to 30 minutes. If the burning time is too short, carbon nanotubes cannot be generated; if the burning time is too long, the carbon felt material and the generated carbon nanotubes are prone to excessive oxidation and damage. Preferably, in this embodiment, the preset time is 15 minutes.

[0030] In some possible embodiments, the preset burning temperature ranges from 400°C to 800°C. Preferably, the preset burning temperature is 600°C.

[0031] The method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode in an embodiment of the present disclosure is to place the carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burn it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to grow carbon nanotubes in situ. This preparation method is simple and can improve the hydrophilicity and catalytic activity of the carbon felt electrode material in the liquid flow battery, thereby increasing the current density of the liquid flow battery.

[0032] The preparation method of the carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode disclosed herein will be specifically described below with reference to several embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] A method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, comprising:

[0035] An initial carbon felt electrode was provided.

[0036] The initial carbon felt electrode was placed on an alcohol lamp and burned at 400° C. for 30 minutes using the inner flame of the alcohol lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] A method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, comprising:

[0039] An initial carbon felt electrode was provided.

[0040] The initial carbon felt electrode was placed on an alcohol lamp and burned at 800° C. for 10 minutes using the inner flame of the alcohol lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0041] Example 3

[0042] A method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, comprising:

[0043] An initial carbon felt electrode was provided.

[0044] The initial carbon felt electrode was placed on an alcohol lamp and burned at 600° C. for 15 minutes using the inner flame of the alcohol lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0045] Example 4

[0046] A method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, comprising:

[0047] An initial carbon felt electrode was provided.

[0048] The initial carbon felt electrode was placed on an alcohol lamp and burned at 700° C. for 12 minutes using the inner flame of the alcohol lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0049] Example 5

[0050] A method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, comprising:

[0051] An initial carbon felt electrode was provided.

[0052] The initial carbon felt electrode was placed on an alcohol lamp and burned at 650° C. for 18 minutes using the inner flame of the alcohol lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0053] Example 6

[0054] A method for preparing a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, comprising:

[0055] An initial carbon felt electrode was provided.

[0056] The initial carbon felt electrode was placed on an alcohol lamp and burned at 750° C. for 22 minutes using the inner flame of the alcohol lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

[0057] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode, which is prepared using the method described above. For details, please refer to the relevant description above and will not be repeated here.

[0058] The carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode of the embodiment of the present disclosure is obtained by the preparation method described above, which is achieved by placing the carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burning it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to grow carbon nanotubes in situ. This preparation method is simple and can improve the hydrophilicity and catalytic activity of the carbon felt electrode material in the liquid flow battery, thereby increasing the current density of the liquid flow battery.

[0059] The carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode of the disclosed embodiment is prepared by placing the carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burning it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to grow carbon nanotubes in situ. This preparation method is simple and can improve the hydrophilicity and catalytic activity of the carbon felt electrode material in the liquid flow battery, thereby increasing the current density of the liquid flow battery.

[0060] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an application of a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode in a liquid flow battery. The carbon felt electrode is prepared using the method described above. For details, please refer to the relevant records above and will not be repeated here.

[0061] The application of the carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode in the liquid flow battery of the embodiment of the present disclosure is achieved by placing the carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burning it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to grow carbon nanotubes in situ. This preparation method is simple and can improve the hydrophilicity and catalytic activity of the carbon felt electrode material in the liquid flow battery, thereby improving the current density of the liquid flow battery.

[0062] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments for illustrating the principles of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and substance of the present disclosure, and such modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a carbon felt electrode modified with carbon nanotubes, characterized in that: The method comprises: providing an initial carbon felt electrode; The initial carbon felt electrode is placed on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burned at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method of placing the initial carbon felt electrode on an alcohol-based fuel lamp and burning it at a preset burning temperature for a preset time to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode comprises: The initial carbon felt electrode is burned at the preset burning temperature for a preset time using the inner flame of the alcohol-based fuel lamp to in-situ grow carbon nanotubes on the initial carbon felt electrode to obtain a target carbon felt electrode.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The preset time range is 10 minutes to 30 minutes.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The preset time is 15 minutes.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The preset burning temperature range is 400°C to 800°C.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The preset burning temperature is 600°C.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The alcohol-based fuel lamp includes an alcohol lamp.

8. A carbon felt electrode modified with carbon nanotubes, characterized in that: The carbon felt electrode is prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Application of a carbon nanotube-modified carbon felt electrode in a flow battery, characterized in that: The carbon felt electrode is prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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