Methods for sol-gel polymerization in absence of solvent and creation of tunable carbon structure from same
AssigneeGroup14 Technologies, Inc.
InventorsHenry R. Costantino, Alan Tzu-Yang Chang, Benjamin E. Kron, Avery J. Sakshaug, Leah A. Thompkins, Aaron M. Feaver
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Abstract
The present application is directed to methods for solvent-free preparation of polymers and their subsequent processing into activated carbon materials. These methods unexpectedly demonstrate ability to tune pore structure in the polymer gel and carbon produced there from, while also providing distinct advantages over the current art.
Claims19
A method for preparing a polymer, the method comprising physical blending of a solvent-free mixture of solid particles comprising solid polymer precursors by one of ball milling, jet milling, Fritsch milling or planetary milling, and aging the solvent-free mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient for the one or more polymer precursors to react with each other and form a polymer gel, and wherein the solvent-free mixture comprises less than 1% solvent by weight.
A carbon having a maximum theoretical capacitance of greater than 26 F/cm3,
- wherein:
- the carbon is formed from a mixture comprising hexamethylenetetramine and bisphenol A, such that a mole ratio of the hexamethylenetetramine to the bisphenol A ranges from 1.63:1 to 5:1;
- a pore structure of the carbon comprises at least 97.8% micropores;
- nitrogen content of the carbon is 1-8%;
- BET surface area of carbon ranges from about 1,500 m2/g to about 2,000 m2/g;
- and
- the capacitance is measured at a current density of 0.5 Amp/g employing an electrolyte comprising tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.