Electrochemical double-layer capacitors utilizing low surface area graphite fibers

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors were constructed using low surface area carbon fibers that are commercially available. The fibers were made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pitch and vary from low (LC = 14A, d002 = 3.54A) to high (LC = 169A, d002 = 3.40A) crystallinity. High energy densities (up to 7.83 Wh/kg) were obtained by electrochemically intercalating HSO4- ions between the graphene planes of the carbon fibers. The intercalation process was strongly influenced by the crystallinity of the carbon fiber and by the precursors from which the fiber was manufactured. All the pitch fibers had a higher structural order and a higher carbon content than the PAN fibers. A total of 10 capacitors were constructed. Nine of these were constructed from fibers that were electrochemically activated and one was constructed from fiber as received. 38 w/o sulfuric acid was used as the electrolyte for each of these capacitors. Performance of the capacitors decreased as the structural order and carbon content of the fibers decreased.