Towards low-cost sodium-ion batteries: electrode behavior of graphite electrodes obtained from spheroidization waste fractions and their structure-property relations

Abstract Electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) typically show spherical particle shapes. For cathode materials, the shape is obtained through synthesis method. graphite, by far most popular anode material LIBs, particles are a spheroidization process. The yield of that process quite low and limited to about 50%, leaving substantial amounts by-products. Using such lower quality by-products would be attractive developing low-cost energy stores like sodium-ion (SIBs), which requirements sizes shapes might less strict as compared high performing LIBs. Here, we study three different graphite ‘waste fractions’ SIBs from how they compare LIB battery grade material. Only negligible differences between fractions found when analyzing them with x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy elemental analysis (EA). More clear can seen N 2 physisorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) size analysis. example, surface areas become roughly up twice large fraction d 50 values shift 11.9 µ m numbers. Electrochemical measurements deliver full electrode capacity behave similar 10 C. However, higher lead more irreversible losses in first cycle. A surprising finding all almost identical discharge voltages, while charging voltages differ much 200 mV. This asymmetric behavior only occurs not indicates complex storage case sodium.