Morphology and organic EDLC applications of chemically activated AR-resin-based carbons

A morphological characterization of activated AR-resin was carried out. The time and temperature effect of the EDLC (electric double layer capacitor) properties of AR-resin were investigated. In order to clarify the relation between the electric double layer capacitance and the ion mobility in the organic solvent, a computer simulation was used to calculate the possible solvation size of Et₄NBF₄ in propylene carbonate. The sample (HTT 700) activated at a heat treatment temperature (HTT) of 700 °C for 2 h has a specific capacitance as high as 35.27 F g⁻¹ (equivalent to 141.08 F g⁻¹ for a single electrode), when it is charged to 2.5 V and discharged at 1 mA cm⁻². The capacitance increase by using a longer activation time at each HTT was as follows: 2.3 times at HTT 600, 1.6 times at HTT 700, 1.3 times at HTT 800 and 1.2 times at HTT 900. This variation could be forecast from image analysis using a TEM photograph. Furthermore, a possible ion size of electrolyte (Et₄NBF₄) in a solvent was calculated and it is related to the mobility of charge carriers in a micropore.