Effects of Ethylene Tar-Based Pitch Coatings on the Electrochemical Properties of Graphite Anode Materials

To improve the electrochemical performance of graphite anode materials,pitches with various softening points(150℃,180℃,200℃,and 250℃)were prepared from ethylene tar and used to coat graphite through a liquid coating process.The effects of the softening point of the pitch and the coating amount on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of graphite were studied by methods including thermogravimetric analysis,X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,surface area analysis,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and electrochemical testing.The graphite particles were coated uniformly by the pyrolytic carbon in the pitch.The coating changed the degree of graphitization,decreased the average specific surface area,and improved the electrochemical performance significantly.The best battery anode performance was obtained when the mass ratio of pitch to graphite was 10%,the heat treatment temperature was 1100℃,and the softening point of the pitch was 250℃.Under the optimum conditions,the irreversible capacity loss in the first cycle at 0.1 C was only 23 mAh/g,and the first Coulombic efficiency reached 94.2%.The capacity retention rate was 98.3%after 100 charge-discharge cycles at 0.1 C.