Carbon black supercapacitors employing thin electrodes

Carbon black supercapacitors that employ thin (∼1 μm) electrodes were produced by coating and inkjet printing on a conventional current collector or directly on a separator membrane. The simplicity and diversity of ultrathin electrode fabrication were facilitated by the physical form of carbon black, which can be described as a fine particle of around 100 nm in size. It was established that the performance of carbon black in thin supercapacitor electrodes may be compared with carbon nanotube and graphene materials in those instances where fast frequency response is desired from the supercapacitor. At the same time, the fast response supercapacitors that employ nanotubes and graphenes have presently involved more elaborate fabrication routes. RC time constant of 354 μs and phase angle of −75° at 120 Hz is demonstrated for carbon black supercapacitors that employ SC3 carbon black of 1800 m2 g−1 surface area.

► Carbon black in supercapacitor.
► Thin electrodes by coating or inkjet printing.
► Fast frequency response supercapacitor.
► Carbon black is compared with carbon nanotubes and graphenes.