ROLE OF ACTIVATED CARBON IN

SUPERCAPACITOR

By - Kinjal 1
WHAT IS A SUPERCAPACITOR?

 It can be defined as a energy storage device that stores energy

electrostatically by polarizing an electrolytic solution.

 Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors (EDLCs) – also called

supercapacitors (SC) - are electrochemical capacitors that have
high capacitance and high energy density when compared to
common capacitors, and higher power density when compared to
batteries.

2
PRINCIPLE

Energy is stored in ultracapacitor by polarizing the electrolytic

solution. The charges are separated via electrode –electrolyte
interface.

+ -

+ - + -
+ - + -
+ - + -
+ - Electrolyte + -
+ - + -
+ - + -
+ - + -

Electrode

3
CONSTRUCTION

4
CONSTRUCTION
 Most EDLC's are constructed from:
 two carbon based electrodes (mostly activated carbon with a
very high surface area),
 an electrolyte (aqueous or organic) and
 a separator (that allows the transfer of ions, but provides
electronic insulation between the electrodes).
 As voltage is applied, ions in the electrolyte solution diffuse across
the separator into the pores of the electrode of opposite charge.

5
WORKING
 When the voltage is applied to positive plate, it attracts
negative ions from electrolyte.
 When the voltage is applied to negative plate, it attracts
positive ions from electrolyte.

6
WORKING

 Charge accumulates at the interface between the electrodes and

the electrolyte (the double layer phenomenon that occurs
between a conductive solid and a liquid solution interface),
and forms two charged layers with a separation of several
angstroms – the distance from the electrode surface to the
center of the ion layer .
 The double layer capacitance is the result of charge separation
in the interface.

7
 SUPERCAPACITOR
 Since capacitance is
proportional to the surface
area and the reciprocal of the
distance between the two
layers, high capacitance
values are achieved.
 C =kA/ d

Where, C – capacitance,
k- Dielectric constant of
medium
A - area of the plate
d- Distance between the plates

8
SUPERCAPACITOR

 Using activated carbon which has large surface area for

electrodes, enables EDLC to have high capacitance.

9
ACTIVATED CARBON
 Activated Carbons are the most powerful adsorbents known.
 It is basically a solid material consisting mainly of pure carbon.
 A characteristic feature is its porous structure and the resulting
immense surface area which may be as large as 1500 m2/gm.

10
ACTIVATED CARBON
 Activated carbons work on the principle of adsorption.
 Adsorption is an interfacial process involving the collection of
gaseous or solute components on the surface of adsorbent solids.
 Adsorption is thus a physical process, i.e. the substances adsorbed
on the solid do not undergo any chemical reaction with the latter.
 The adsorbing solid is referred to as adsorbent and the substance
to be adsorbed from the liquid or the gas phase as the solute is
referred to as adsorbate.
 The adsorption power and rate is determined by the kind of
activated carbon, the particle size, the pore size and its
distribution.

11
The vast increases in capacitance achieved by
supercapacitors are due to the combination of:

(i) an extremely small distance that separates the opposite

charges, as defined by the electric double-layer;
(ii) highly porous electrodes that embody very high
surface-area.

variety of porous forms of carbon are currently preferred

as the electrode materials because they have

•exceptionally high surface areas,

•relatively high electronic conductivity, and
•acceptable cost.

12
Electrode material characteristics

The attraction of carbon as a supercapacitor electrode

material arises from a unique combination of chemical
and physical properties, namely:

• high conductivity,
• high surface-area range
• good corrosion resistance,
• high temperature stability,
• controlled pore structure,
• relatively low cost.

13
GREEN TECHNOLOGY SUPER CAPACITORS

 Activated carbon used is unsustainable and expensive.

 Biochar is viewed as a green solution to the activated carbon
currently used in super capacitor electrodes.
 Unlike activated carbon, biochar is the byproduct of the pyrolysis
process used to produce biofuels and it is nontoxic and will not
pollute the soil when it is tossed out.
 Biochar costs almost half as much as activated carbon, and is
more sustainable because it reuses the waste from biofuel
production, a process with sustainable intentions to begin with.

14