The Synthesis and Characterization of Bioactive Carbon Material Supercapacitor Loaded with Nickel Hydroxide
Supercapacitor is an environmentally friendly energy storage device, which fills the gap between traditional capacitors and batteries, and its energy density and power density are higher than the battery [1]. Moreover, the supercapacitor has the characteristics of high charging and discharging efficiency and long cycle life. This makes it used in the electric vehicles, high powered weapons, standby power in electronic equipment, flash of industrial equipment and ignition device [2]. So it has great significance for the basic research, the development of electronic industry and the electric vehicle to carry out the supercapacitor electrode materials [3]. Here, we firstly prepared the activated carbon materials by carbonizing, activating the biological material, then prepared the nickel hydroxide/activated carbon composites by direct precipitation method, and studied the electrochemical properties of composite materials with different nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2) contents (the mass fraction). The results of cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge-discharge are that a small amount of Ni(OH)2 are mixed in the carbon surface and pores, the composite material has a good specific capacitance, stability, charging and discharging performance compared with the activated carbon. When the mass fraction of Ni(OH)2 is 12%, the supercapacitor exhibits the excellent electrochemical properties, its capacitance is up to 400.78F/g which improved 75.21% compared with the activated carbon’s capacitance (228.74F/g). 6mol/L potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used as an electrolyte, the capacitance is only reduced to 94.42% after conducting 1000 times cycle life tests. This means that the supercapacitor shows a good stability.
Research on Carbon-Based Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors
As a new type of energy storage device, supercapacitors with high specific capacitance, fast charge and discharge, and long cycle life have attracted significant attention in the energy storage field. Electrode materials are a crucial factor defining the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. The standard supercapacitor electrode materials used can be classified into three types:carbon-based materials, metal oxides and hydroxide materials, and conductive polymers. This review introduces the principles of supercapacitors and summarizes recent research progress of carbon-based electrode materials, including pure carbon materials, and the binary and ternary complex materials with carbon.
Hygroscopic Expansion of some Casting Investments
CREDIT is generally given to Taggart1 for introducing the cast gold inlay to the dental profession. Although he realized that gold shrinks when cooled from molten state to solid state of room temperature, the investment available to him did not supply sufficient compensation. In 1910, Van Horn2 published a paper dealing with a method by which he obtained the compensation by means of wax expansion. The next major research in connection with this problem was the work of Coleman3 at the National Bureau of Standards. He determined the gold shrinkage to be 1.25 per cent and presented a casting technic with compensation values of quantitative nature. The total compensation for the gold shrinkage was obtained by the combination of the setting and thermal expansion of the mold. This procedure is the general practice followed at the present time for compensation. There are some disadvantages to this method. Skinner has indicated the difficulty of obtaining smooth castings and the improper compensation for the casting shrinkage.4 It has been found by Hollenback5 and Scheu6a that castings made at a high temperature are rougher than those made at a low temperature (450° C.), depending upon the great difference in thermal expansion between plaster of Paris and silica, which causes a poor union of the fine particles. This may also result in friability and there may be some warpage due to the differential expansion. A method which provides sufficient compensation at a low mold temperature is the hygroscopic casting technic.b Wilson7 showed that certain plasters expand as much as 0.0044 inch to the inch by taking up moisture from the air. With this information at hand, Scheula, b tested some commercial investment to determine what results the addition of moisture would have. He found6b: (1) All of the casting investments that were tested expanded. (2) The thicker the mix, the greater the expansion. (3) A mix with hot water expanded more than one with cold water. (4) The time at which the mix is placed in the water is of great importance. It was found that if the mix is placed in the water early, it would not expand so much as when placed in a little later. It was also found that if the mix was placed in the water after a certain time, it could not expand to the maximal amount. (5) The temperature of the water in which the mix is placed is important, for two reasons; (a) the temperature of the water controls slightly the expansion of the investment, and (b) water at a temperature of 1000 F. slightly softens the wax pattern so that the fine margins are not marred while expansion is taking place. The mix should remain in the water at least 20 minutes to obtain the full expansion, after which time no further expansion is obtained.