# US 2013/0157151 A1 · Ultrapure synthetic carbon materials

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- Number: US 2013/0157151 A1
- Document ID: US20130157151A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/767,711
- Filed: 2013-02-14
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2009-07-01
- Assignees: EnerG2 Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Aaron M. Feaver; Henry R. Costantino; William D. Scott
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157151A1

## CPC

- C01B 32/318: characterised by the starting materials
- C01B 32/00: Carbon; Compounds thereof (C01B21/00, C01B23/00 take precedence; percarbonates C01B15/10; carbon black C09C1/48)
- C01B 32/05: Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
- H01G 9/042: characterised by the material (H01G11/22 takes precedence)
- H01G 11/24: characterised by structural features of the materials making up or comprised in the electrodes, e.g. form, surface area or porosity; characterised by the structural features of powders or particles used therefor
- H01G 11/32: Carbon-based
- H01G 11/34: characterised by carbonisation or activation of carbon
- H01G 11/48: Conductive polymers
- H01M 4/583: Carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
- H01M 4/96: Carbon-based electrodes
- H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators
- H01M 10/06: Lead-acid accumulators (semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20)
- C01P 2006/12: Surface area
- C01P 2006/80: Compositional purity
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- H01M 2220/30: Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/13: Energy storage using capacitors
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The present application is generally directed to ultrapure synthetic carbon materials having both high surface area and high porosity, ultrapure polymer gels and devices containing the same. The disclosed ultrapure synthetic carbon materials find utility in any number of devices, for example, in electric double layer capacitance devices and batteries. Methods for making ultrapure synthetic carbon materials and ultrapure polymer gels are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-60. (canceled)

### Claim 61

An ultrapure synthetic carbon material comprising a BET specific surface area of at least 500 m2/g and a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 62 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material is an ultrapure synthetic amorphous carbon material.

### Claim 63 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 200 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 64 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.03% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

### Claim 65 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.01% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

### Claim 66 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises at least 95% carbon by weight as measured by combustion analysis and proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 67 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 3 ppm iron as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 68 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm nickel as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 69 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 5 ppm sulfur as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 70 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm chromium as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 71 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm copper as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 72 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 100 ppm sodium, less than 300 ppm silicon, less than 50 ppm sulfur, less than 100 ppm calcium, less than 20 ppm iron, less than 10 ppm nickel, less than 140 ppm copper, less than 5 ppm chromium and less than 5 ppm zinc as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 73 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 50 ppm sodium, less than 50 ppm silicon, less than 30 ppm sulfur, less than 10 ppm calcium, less than 2 ppm iron, less than 1 ppm nickel, less than 1 ppm copper, less than 1 ppm chromium and less than 1 ppm zinc as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 74 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 3.0% oxygen, less than 0.1% nitrogen and less than 0.5% hydrogen as determined by combustion analysis.

### Claim 75 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1.0% oxygen as determined by combustion analysis.

### Claim 76 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises a pyrolyzed ultrapure polymer cryogel.

### Claim 77 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises an activated ultrapure polymer cryogel.

### Claim 78 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the BET specific surface area is at least 1000 m2/g.

### Claim 79 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the BET specific surface area is at least 1500 m2/g.

### Claim 80 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 2000 m2/g.

### Claim 81 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 2400 m2/g.

### Claim 82 (depends on 61)

The carbon material of claim 61, wherein the carbon material comprises a pore volume of at least 0.7 cc/g.

### Claim 83

A device comprising an ultrapure synthetic carbon material, wherein the ultrapure synthetic carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 500 m2/g and a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 84 (depends on 83)

The device of claim 83, wherein the carbon material is an ultrapure synthetic amorphous carbon material.

### Claim 85 (depends on 83)

The device of claim 83, wherein the device is an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) device comprising:
a) a positive electrode and a negative electrode wherein each of the positive and the negative electrodes comprise the ultrapure synthetic carbon material;
b) an inert porous separator; and
c) an electrolyte;
wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are separated by the inert porous separator.

### Claim 86 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the EDLC device comprises a gravimetric power of at least 15 W/g.

### Claim 87 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the EDLC device comprises a volumetric power of at least 10 W/cc.

### Claim 88 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the EDLC device comprises a gravimetric energy of at least 20.0 Wh/kg.

### Claim 89 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the EDLC device comprises a volumetric energy of at least 10.0 Wh/liter.

### Claim 90 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the EDLC device comprises a gravimetric capacitance of at least 25 F/g as measured by constant current discharge from 2.7 V to 0.1 V with a 5 second time constant employing a 1.8 M solution of tetraethylammonium-tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile electrolyte and a current density of 0.5 A/g.

### Claim 91 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the EDLC device comprises a volumetric capacitance of at least 20 F/cc as measured by constant current discharge from 2.7 V to 0.1 V with a 5 second time constant employing a 1.8 M solution of tetraethylammonium-tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile electrolyte and a current density of 0.5 A/g.

### Claim 92 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises a total impurity content of less than 200 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 93 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.03% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

### Claim 94 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the ash content of the carbon material is less than 0.01% as calculated from proton induced x-ray emission data.

### Claim 95 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises at least 95% carbon as measured by combustion analysis and proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 96 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 3 ppm iron as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 97 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm nickel as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 98 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 5 ppm sulfur as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 99 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm chromium as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 100 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 1 ppm copper as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 101 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises less than 100 ppm sodium, less than 300 ppm silicon, less than 100 ppm calcium, less than 50 ppm sulfur, less than 20 ppm iron, less than 10 ppm nickel, less than 140 ppm copper, less than 5 ppm chromium and less than 5 ppm zinc as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 102 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises an activated ultrapure polymer cryogel.

### Claim 103 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 1000 m2/g.

### Claim 104 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 1500 m2/g.

### Claim 105 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 2000 m2/g.

### Claim 106 (depends on 85)

The device of claim 85, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 2400 m2/g.

### Claim 107 (depends on 83)

The device of claim 83, wherein the device is a battery.

### Claim 108 (depends on 107)

The device of claim 107, wherein the device is a lithium/carbon battery, zinc/carbon, lithium air battery or lead acid battery.

### Claim 109

An electrode comprising an ultrapure synthetic carbon material and a binder, wherein the ultrapure synthetic carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 500 m2/g and a total impurity content of less than 500 ppm of elements having atomic numbers ranging from 11 to 92 as measured by proton induced x-ray emission.

### Claim 110 (depends on 109)

The electrode of claim 109, wherein the carbon material is an ultrapure synthetic amorphous carbon material.

### Claim 111 (depends on 109)

The electrode of claim 109, wherein the carbon material comprises a BET specific surface area of at least 1000 m2/g.