Structure & composition of carbon fibers for electrochemical applications
Schilling M, Vocht MP, Debastiani R, Scherer S, Hermanutz F, Zeis R (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
Book Volume: 647
Article Number: 237345
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.237345
Abstract
Carbon-based electrode materials are used in a broad range of energy storage systems and influence their performance significantly. Electrode materials must be investigated to optimize the technologies' efficiency. This study examines lab-fabricated and commercial electrode materials for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), and the influence of thermal treatment on these materials. Scanning electron microscopy images and X-ray nano-computed tomography revealed significant differences between the 3D shapes of the carbon fibers, which are influenced by the choice of precursor material and manufacturing process. Both have a crucial influence on the inner structure of the fibers, such as holes, which lower the mechanical stability. Furthermore, the composition of the fibers was assessed using wide-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy highlighting especially differences in the fibers' oxygen- and carbon content. The applied thermal treatment increased the O-content and thus enhanced the material's wettability, which was investigated with dynamic vapor sorption. No structural changes in the fiber shape were monitored after thermal treatment. The materials' electrochemical performance was studied for VRFBs. The study of different electrode materials here shows the importance of choosing a suitable precursor and manufacturing process and the need for a multimodal characterization of materials to identify potential candidates.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
Helmholtz Institut Ulm
Germany (DE)
Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf (DITF)
Germany (DE)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Germany (DE)
Germany (DE)
Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf (DITF)
Germany (DE)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Germany (DE)
How to cite
APA:
Schilling, M., Vocht, M.P., Debastiani, R., Scherer, S., Hermanutz, F., & Zeis, R. (2025). Structure & composition of carbon fibers for electrochemical applications. Journal of Power Sources, 647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.237345
MLA:
Schilling, Monja, et al. "Structure & composition of carbon fibers for electrochemical applications." Journal of Power Sources 647 (2025).
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