CARBEN: carbon nanostructures and nanotubes for energy storage, electrochemistry and field emission applications

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0600-2

Key words (English)

Supercapacitor; ultracapacitor; nanotubes

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: G5RD-1999-00027

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.3.8 Generic R&D activities

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: UCAM-DENG, Cambridge (UK)

Abstract (English)

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors, also known as supercapacitors or ultracapacitors, are electrical storage devices, which have a relatively high energy storage density simultaneously with a high power density. Recent developments in basic technology, materials and manufacturability have made supercapacitors an imperative tool for short-term energy storage in power electronics. With much higher energy density than today's capacitors and none of the problems associated with conventional battery technology, supercapacitors give an access to new power electronic and industrial storage applications.
The objectives of CARBEN are to control the surface area of nano-structured and nanotube carbon films to give large useful surface areas for electrochemical and field emission applications. Montena use nano-structured carbon films from INFM and nanotube mats from Fribourg University to make super-capacitors with higher energy densities and power densities. Innogy (formerly National Power) will use nanostructured carbon films from INFM and aligned carbon nanotubes mats from Cambridge to develop electrode materials to give low over-potentials for electrochemical reactions, particularly for regenerative fuel cells for bulk electricity storage. Fribourg and Cambridge will evaluate field emission properties of nanotubes and nanostructured carbon. The project requires Microcoat to scale-up of a cluster-beam deposition system to an industrial scale.
Montena have continuously tested the nanostructured carbon for capacitors and Innogy have tested them for electrochemistry. The new 0.1 mm thick films being produced presently have much better performance.
The first nanostructured carbon films had a low electrochemical activity, the later ones are better, but their overpotential is still well above the needed 80 mV. This is due to their high resistivity and lack of use of the porosity. The project envisaged trying both nanotubes or nanostructured carbon for this use, so the first 12 months shows that nanotubes will be the main carbon for electrochemical use. The growth process for nanotubes was only finalised at about month 12, so consequently there has been less electrochemical testing of carbon than desireable.
Innogy/Regenesys and Fribourg have produced an analysis of the electrochemical performance of the carbon materials.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0600-2