Investigation of the life process of the electric double layer capacitor during float charging

The electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) should have an almost indefinite life, because the EDLC is charged and discharged by the electrostatic adsorption and desorption of ions on electrodes whose processing involves mass transfers without a chemical reaction. However, the actual life of an EDLC is finite, such that its performance begins to slowly degrade and is significantly deteriorated at some point. We have investigated this phenomenon in detail by analyzing changes in the species of the EDLC during its life. We found that reactions on the positive and negative electrode occurred in phase with the consumption of oxygen, carbon in the electrode materials, and anions in the electrolyte during EDLC charging to change the electrode potentials and the abundance of ions on the electrodes. A product and/or disappearance by the side reactions deteriorated the performance of the active materials. Here we suggest a life process during the float charge of the EDLC and a directional concept for extending its life while comparing experimental data with theoretical models of EDLC charging.     

Corrosion Resistance of Ozone Generator Electrode

Materials used for the discharge tubes of ozone generators and also their method of production are examined, focusing on the conductive film characteristics. In comparison with the aluminum hot spray method, the stainless steel sputtering method can form a thinner and denser amorphous conductive thin film with corrosion resistance. It has higher durability exposed under discharge species than other materials ever before used.     

Functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids as electrolyte components of lithium batteries

Some basic properties and compatibility toward lithium electrode for electrolytes based on substituted imidazolium ionic liquid have been investigated. The ionic liquids having imidazolium cation substituted by methylcarboxyl or cyano group suffers from low conductivity. However, reversible lithium deposition–dissolution process was observed in electrolytes based on these electrolytes. In particular, lithium salt solution in cyanomethyl-substituted imidazolium ionic liquid provided similar cycle efficiency to conventional organic solvent electrolyte at constant-current condition. The mixed ionic liquid electrolyte containing the cyanomethyl-substituted ionic liquid also provided good cycle performance despite of containing large amount of 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium (EMI)-based ionic liquid. Such mixed electrolyte system serves both the stability of lithium electrode process and valid conductivity for practical use.     

Development and characterization of reinforced poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactide) scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Novel reinforced poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffolds such as solid shell, porous shell, one beam and two beam reinforced scaffolds were developed to improve the mechanical properties of a standard PLLA scaffold. Experimental results clearly indicated that the compressive mechanical properties such as the strength and the modulus are effectively improved by introducing the reinforcement structures. A linear elastic model consisting of three phases, that is, the reinforcement, the porous matrix and the boundary layer was also introduced in order to predict the compressive moduli of the reinforced scaffolds. The comparative study clearly showed that the simple theoretical model can reasonably predict the moduli of the scaffolds with three phase structures. The failure mechanism of the solid shell and the porous shell reinforced scaffolds under compression were found to be buckling of the solid shell and localized buckling of the struts constructing the pores in the porous shell, respectively. For the beam reinforced scaffolds, on the contrary, the primary failure mechanism was understood to be micro-cracking within the beams and the subsequent formation of the main-crack due to the coalescence of the micro-racks. The biological study was exhibited that osteoblast-like cells, MC3T3-E1, were well adhered and proliferated on the surfaces of the scaffolds after 12 days culturing.