Electrochemical Capacities of Commercially Available Structural Carbon Fibers, Fabrics, and Papers

摘要

This study focuses on the energy storage properties of commercial carbon fabric materials. Electrochemically active carbon fabrics could facilitate scalable development of multifunctional fiber-based structural composites or fabric-based wearable components that provide a secondary function as a battery or supercapacitor. Multifunctional composites are desirable to reduce system mass by integrating load-bearing and energy storage capabilities into a single material. Electrochemical capacity and double layer capacitance were evaluated for a wide range of structural carbon fibers based on poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), pitch, or activated carbon; and papers made from carbon nanotubes or nanofoams. The impact of fiber sizing on electrochemical activity was also studied. The data is tabulated with manufacturer-reported material properties to enable rapid identification of fibers or fabrics for a wide range of potential applications. PAN- based fibers and nanofoam papers demonstrated reversible capacities as high as 186 mA*h/g. Fiber sizing did not appear to be a detriment to electrochemical activity. The T-3OO PAN-based fibers are most recommended for use in multifunctional composite batteries given their high tensile strength and high capacities. Double layer capacitances for activated carbon fibers, nanotube fibers, and nanofoam papers consistently approached or exceeded 10 F/g.