Semi-quantitative analysis of the structural evolution of mesophase pitch-based carbon foams by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy

Graphitized carbon foams(GFms)were prepared using mesophase pitch(MP)as a raw material by foaming(450℃),pre-oxidation(320℃),carbonization(1000℃)and graphitization(2800℃).The differences in structure and properties of GFms prepared from different MP precursors pretreated by ball milling or liquid phase extraction were investigated and compared,and semi-quantitative calculations were conducted on the Raman and FTIR spectra of samples at each preparation stage.Semi-quantitat-ive spectroscopic analysis provided detailed information on the structure and chemical composition changes of the MP and GFm de-rived from it.Combined with microscopic observations,the change from precursor to GFm was analyzed.The results showed that ball milling concentrated the distribution of aromatic molecules in the pitch,which contributed to uniform foaming to give a GFm with a uniform pore distribution and good properties.Liquid phase extraction helped remove light components while retaining large aromatics to form graphitic planes with the largest average size during post-treatment to produce a GFm with the highest degree of graphitization and the fewest open pores,giving the best compression resistance(2.47 MPa),the highest thermal conductivity(64.47 W/(m·K))and the lowest electrical resistance(13.02μΩ·m).Characterization combining semi-quantitative spectroscopic ana-lysis with microscopic observations allowed us to control the preparation of the MP-derived GFms.

A review of the catalytic preparation of mesophase pitch

Because of its high purity and excellent orientation, mesophase pitch is a superior precursor for high-performance car-bon materials. However, the preparation of top-notch mesophase pitch faces challenges. Catalytic polycondensation at low temperat-ures is more favorable for synthesizing mesophase pitch, because it circumvents the high-temperature free radical reaction of other thermal polycondensation approaches. The reaction is gentle and can be easily controlled. It has the potential to significantly im-prove the yield of mesophase pitch and easily introduce naphthenic characteristics into the molecules, catalytic polycondensation is therefore a preferred method of synthesizing highly spinnable mesophase pitch. This review provides a synopsis of the selective pre-treatment of the raw materials to prepare different mesophase pitches, and explains the reaction mechanism and associated research advances for different catalytic systems in recent years. Finally, how to manufacture high-quality mesophase pitch by using a cata-lyst-promoter system is summarized and proposed, which may provide a theoretical basis for the future design of high-quality pitch molecules.

Preparation of activated carbons from mesophase pitch and their electrochemical properties

The influences of molar ratio of KOH to C and activated temperature on the pore structure and electrochemical property of porous activated carbon from mesophase pitch activated by KOH were investigated. The surface areas and the pore structures of activated carbons were analyzed by nitrogen adsorption, and the electrochemical properties of the activated carbons were studied using two-electrode capacitors in organic electrolyte. The results indicate that the maximum surface area of 3 190 m2/g is obtained at molar ratio of KOH to C of 5:1, the maximum specific capacitance of 122 F/g is attained at molar ratio of KOH to C of 4:1, and 800 ℃ is the proper temperature to obtain the maximum surface area and capacitance.

Tunable and efficient microwave absorption from mesophase pitch carbide with designable electromagnetic properties

In order to obtain the microwave absorption(MA)materials with light weight,high efficiency and tunable properties,the carbonized mesophase pitch(CMP)with the variation in carbonization temperatures and particle sizes were prepared and characterized.The carbonization temperature mainly controlled the graphitization degree of the CMP to affect their conductive loss.The carbon residues were generated on the CMP surface when the temperature was higher than 700℃,which contributed significantly to the polarization loss of the CMP.For scale regulation,the segregation between the particles in the paraffin ring caused by the reduction particles of CMP carbonization at 750℃(750 CMP)resulted in a significant reduction in conductive losses while improving their impedance matching.The 750 CMP over 300 mesh sieved had the strongest MA properties of-53 d B at 3.4 GHz within 5.5 mm.Moreover,the prepared CMPs were multi-layer compounded and optimized by CST microwave studio.The synergistic effect derived from the improved impedance matching and the enhanced interfacial polarization resulted in significant reflection loss in multi-layer CMP.Overall,these findings lead to the systematically regulation of carbon-based materials for MA,showing an attractive application prospect for the preparation of high-performance MA materials.

The mitigation of pitch-derived carbon with different structures on the volume expansion of silicon in Si/C composite anode

The microstructures of carbon precursors significantly affect the electrochemical performance of Si/C composite anodes.However,the interaction between Si and carbon materials with different structures is still unclear.Pitch-based materials undergoing different thermal treatments are superior sources for synthesizing carbons with different structures.Herein,different types of mesophase pitch(domain,flow-domain and mosaic structure) obtained from controllable thermal condensation are utilized to prepare Si/C composite materials and the corresponding models are established through finite element simulation to explore the correlation between the lithium storage properties of Si/C composites and the structures of carbon materials.The results indicate that the flow-domain texture pitch P2 has a better ability to buffer the volume expansion of silicon particles for its highly ordered arrangement of carbon crystallites inside could disperse the swelling stress uniformly alongside the particle surface.The sample Si@P2 exhibits the highest capacity of 1328 mA h/g after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A/g as well as the best rate performance and stability.While sample Si@P3 in which the mosaic texture pitch P3 composed of random orientation of crystallites undergoes the fastest capacity decay.These findings suggest that highly ordered carbon materials are more suitable for the synthesis of Si/C composite anodes and provide insights for understanding the interaction between carbon and silicon during the charging/discharging process.