Amorphous Carbon Anode Material for Sodium Ion Batteries

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of cost-effective and high-performance anode materials for sodium ion batteries is hindered by the difficulty of sodium ions embedding in graphite materials, leading to high production costs and limited scalability of hard carbon anode materials due to expensive precursors and complex processing methods.

Innovation Solution

An amorphous carbon material with adjustable disorder degree is prepared using coal and a hard carbon precursor, processed through stirring, mixing, drying, crosslinking, curing, and pyrolyzing under an inert gas atmosphere, resulting in a low-cost, high-yield anode material suitable for large-scale production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If graphite materials are used as anode materials for sodium ion batteries, then the structure is simple and cost is low, but sodium ions cannot embed between the layers due to thermodynamic reasons

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveanode material simplicityVSAvoidsodium ion embedding capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the structural parameters of carbon materials from ordered graphite layers to disordered amorphous structures with expanded interlayer spacing (0.35-0.42 nm), enabling sodium ion embedding while maintaining carbon-based simplicity and low cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If hard carbon materials are used as anode materials for sodium ion batteries, then specific capacity is high and sodium storage potential is low, but precursor cost is high and preparation process is complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrochemical performanceVSAvoidpreparation process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive hard carbon precursors (cellulose, saccharides, furan resin, phenolic resin, polyvinylidene chloride) with low-cost coal materials, achieving the same electrochemical performance benefits at significantly reduced material cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite carbon materials by combining coal with small amounts of hard carbon precursors or coal tar, achieving both low cost and high electrochemical performance through synergistic material composition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If hard carbon materials are used as anode materials for sodium ion batteries, then specific capacity is high and sodium storage potential is low, but carbon yield is low and production cost is high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespecific capacityVSAvoidcarbon yield

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive hard carbon precursors with low-cost coal materials that provide high carbon yield, maintaining electrochemical performance while improving production efficiency and reducing material cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

4Ease of manufacture

If coal is used as raw material for carbon material preparation, then cost is low and carbon yield is high, but preparation process is complex and product performance is unstable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveraw material costVSAvoidproduct performance consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent controls the disordered degree parameter of coal-based carbon materials within specific ranges (d002: 0.35-0.42 nm, Lc: 1-4 nm, La: 3-5 nm) to achieve consistent electrochemical performance across different batches

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines coal with small amounts of hard carbon precursors or coal tar to create composite materials that provide structural stability and consistent performance, reducing the variability inherent in pure coal-based materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The amorphous carbon anode material exhibits improved yield and electrochemical performance, enabling stable cycle performance and safety, suitable for use in mobile devices, electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage systems.

Implementation Method 1

sodium ions are difficult to embed between the graphite material layers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIntercalation: Absorption (physical)

Implementation Method 2

pyrolyzed under an inert gas atmosphere

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPyrolysis: Pyrolysis

Data Source

PatentUS10651472B2Sodium ion secondary battery anode material and preparing method and application thereof

Publication Date: 2020.05.12 INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

AI summary

The invention discloses a sodium ion secondary battery anode material, and a preparing method and application thereof. The material is an amorphous carbon material, and is obtained by performing high-temperature pyrolyzing on coal as a main raw material, the material is prepared by using coal and a hard carbon precursor as raw materials, mechanical mixing after adding a solvent, drying, and crosslinking, curing and pyrolyzing under an inert gas atmosphere, or prepared by using coal as a raw material, and pyrolyzing under an inert gas atmosphere. The sodium ion secondary battery prepared from the amorphous carbon material as anode material has lower cost and higher work voltage, and is stable in cycle and good in safety.