Electrochemical properties of LiFePO4 cathode materials coated with newly developed carbon black

Abstract

A new type of carbon black CB1 was developed, by Asahi Carbon Co., Ltd., for usage of a lithium-ion battery (LIB). Compared with commercially available acetylene black, CB1 in which the network structure of carbon is developed has a relatively larger specific surface area. Therefore, CB1 dispersed in LiFePO4 precursors by planetary ball milling inhibited LiFePO4 primary particles' growth during calcination process. Charge/discharge performance was improved by coexistence of CB1 with polystyrene (PS) carbon layers deposited on LiFePO4 particle surfaces, compared to the performance for the LiFePO4 sample covered with carbon layers derived from only PS.