摘要 |
A method of manufacturing a high surface area per unit weight carbon electrode includes providing a substrate, depositing a carbon-rich material on the substrate to form a film, and after the depositing, activating the carbon-rich material to increase the surface area of the film of carbon-rich material. Due to the activation process being after deposition, this method enables use of low cost carbon-rich material to form a carbon electrode in the capacitor. The electrode may be used in capacitors, ultracapacitors and lithium ion batteries. The substrate may be part of the electrode, or it may be sacrificial—being consumed during the activation process. The carbon-rich material may include any of carbonized material, carbon aerogel and metal oxides, such as manganese and ruthenium oxide. The activation may include exposing the carbon-rich material to carbon dioxide at elevated temperature, in the range of 300 to 900 degrees centigrade. This method may be used to make both symmetric and asymmetric ultracapacitors. |