US 10,093,544 B2 · Method of making cohesive carbon assembly and its applications

Abstract

Cohesive carbon assemblies are prepared by obtaining a functionalized carbon starting material in the form of powder, particles, flakes, loose agglomerates, aqueous wet cake, or aqueous slurry, dispersing the carbon in water by mechanical agitation and/or refluxing, and substantially removing the water, typically by evaporation, whereby the cohesive assembly of carbon is formed. The method is suitable for preparing free-standing, monolithic assemblies of carbon nanotubes in the form of films, wafers, discs, fiber, or wire, having high carbon packing density and low electrical resistivity. The method is also suitable for preparing substrates coated with an adherent cohesive carbon assembly. The assemblies have various potential applications, such as electrodes or current collectors in electrochemical capacitors, fuel cells, and batteries, or as transparent conductors, conductive inks, pastes, and coatings.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of preparing a cohesive carbon assembly comprising:

a. obtaining a functionalized carbon starting material in a form of powder, particles, flakes, loose agglomerates, aqueous wet cake, or aqueous slurry;
said functionalized carbon starting material is a carbon starting material which has been covalently or non-covalently functionalized such that it is dispersible in water;
b. dispersing the functionalized carbon starting material in an aqueous solution in a prescribed ratio to form a dispersion;
c. applying the dispersion to a hydrophilic surface such that after one application, the applied dispersion has a thickness of about 0.02 to about 2,000 μm, wherein the hydrophilic surface is selected from the group consisting of:
a metal surface, a glass surface, a silicon surface, a plastic surface, and a ceramic surface;
and
d. removing greater than 99% of the liquid portion from the dispersion in a controlled manner by evaporation without a mechanical force to form a cohesive carbon assembly having a monolithic structure.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of making cohesive carbon assembly and its applications

Life of this patent

Method of making cohesive carbon assembly and its applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20