ELECTROCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE OF ACTIVATED CARBONS FROM LIGNITE BY MICROWAVE-ASSISTED ACTIVATION USING H3PO4, ZnCl2 AND KOH FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL CAPACITORS

摘要

Activated carbons (ACs) are drawing more attention as the electrode materials of electrochemical capacitors (ECs) in recent years. However, the biggest barrier for wide scale application of ACs in ECs is the cost-prohibitive activation process, which usually take longer activation time, involve higher energy consumption and more activating agents. It is necessary to find a rapid and efficient route for the preparation of ACs. The preparation of ACs by microwave-assisted heat activation has received wide attention in the past few years [1]. The microwave heating has the advantages over the conventional heat method such as high heating rate, easy control of the heating process, rapid temperature rise and saving of energy [2]. Among a wide range of precursors, lignite is very attractive for their abundance, low cost, high carbon content. ACs can be made from lignite by physical or chemical activation methods.