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Stan’s Legacy

Graphene Supercapacitors

Started by Berg · · 15 posts · last reply 11 March 2013

  1. Berg

    #1 ·


    Graphene Supercapacitor Powering a LED

    Graphene supercapacitors can be made with a DVD drive.

    Making graphene supercapacitors with a DVD writer - YouTube

    ChemistryWorldUK wrote:

    Imagine having an energy storage device that stores as much energy as a conventional battery, yet, can be charged 100 to 1000 times faster. Supercapacitors store charge in electrochemical double layers whereas batteries store charge through electrochemical reactions. Although supercapacitors can charge and discharge much faster than batteries, they are still limited by low energy densities and slow rate capabilities. Researchers at UCLA have successfully used an inexpensive precursor (graphite oxide) to produce high-performance graphene-based supercapacitors using a computerized LightScribe DVD drive. These devices exhibit ultrahigh energy density values in different electrolytes approaching those of batteries, yet they can be charged in seconds. The devices can be charged and discharged for more than 10,000 cycles without losing much in performance compared with a normal life-time of less than 1000 cycles typical for batteries. Additionally, the devices are completely flexible and maintain excellent performance under high mechanical stress.
    Reference:
    Graphene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    DVD player burns graphene to disc

    Cheers

  2. Joit

    #2 ·

    There is allready a Posting from this.


    I still try to get more out from this. Basically you need now Graphitoxid, to turn it into Graphene, when you dont want to use the tape method.
    I found, that you can reduce, oxidate graphit(powder) into graphitoxide.
    One Oxidant would be ie Natron (soda), not sure if hydrogenperoxid works well there.
    After that, you need to bring it into shape and transform it back into graphene.
    But still after that, you need to have or make a Electrolyte. Probatly distilled Water would work with a Salt or Alum. They used a different one there in the Videos.
    Anyone got any suggestions about a good Electrolyte?

  3. Berg

    #3 ·

    Earlier, a search for "graphene supercapacitors" was run, but no posting resulted, so this thread was created.

    Thanks for telling us about the other thread.

  4. aaron5120

    #4 ·

    Joit wrote:

    There is allready a Posting from this.


    I still try to get more out from this. Basically you need now Graphitoxid, to turn it into Graphene, when you dont want to use the tape method.
    I found, that you can reduce, oxidate graphit(powder) into graphitoxide.
    One Oxidant would be ie Natron (soda), not sure if hydrogenperoxid works well there.
    After that, you need to bring it into shape and transform it back into graphene.
    But still after that, you need to have or make a Electrolyte. Probatly distilled Water would work with a Salt or Alum. They used a different one there in the Videos.
    Anyone got any suggestions about a good Electrolyte?
    Hi Joit,
    I suggest you to try white school glue mixed with phosphoric acid. The idea was from a related research paper. That is gelled PVA andH3PO4, which is an excellent separator and housing for the electrolyte.
    aaron5120
    Attached Files

  5. Joit

    #5 ·

    Lol ty aaron5120
    School glue and Coca cola? Kids got allready anything at school to make science.
    I would have to look for some technical phosporic acid then.
    I was thinking about just a thin paper like toilet paper or a tissue, use one or 2 layers from it and use either destilled Water and Alum or sodium hydroxide on it.
    It seem for me, that most Batteries work with one natural? Plate (electrode) and one oxidated Plate. Same for Capacitors, where you need a acid to oxidate one Electrode. Modern Capacitors seems are not build anymore that they store energy at electrostatic ways, they look more like batteries, where the Kathode is mostly a layer of aluminiumoxid.
    So probatly other acids works too, like a sodium hydroxide solution.
    I may wrongly mentioned Natron above, but it should have the properties from an acid.

  6. wantomake

    #6 ·

    graphite

    aaron5120 wrote:

    Hi Joit,
    I suggest you to try white school glue mixed with phosphoric acid. The idea was from a related research paper. That is gelled PVA andH3PO4, which is an excellent separator and housing for the electrolyte.
    aaron5120
    Hi aaron5120,
    Can one use graphite based lubricant from Home Depot to do some small experiments? I have limited access and knowledge of phosphoric acid, so was thinking of anything simple to use.

    thanks,
    wantomake

  7. wantomake

    #7 ·

    alum

    Joit wrote:

    Lol ty aaron5120
    School glue and Coca cola? Kids got allready anything at school to make science.
    I would have to look for some technical phosporic acid then.
    I was thinking about just a thin paper like toilet paper or a tissue, use one or 2 layers from it and use either destilled Water and Alum or sodium hydroxide on it.
    It seem for me, that most Batteries work with one natural? Plate (electrode) and one oxidated Plate. Same for Capacitors, where you need a acid to oxidate one Electrode. Modern Capacitors seems are not build anymore that they store energy at electrostatic ways, they look more like batteries, where the Kathode is mostly a layer of aluminiumoxid.
    So probatly other acids works too, like a sodium hydroxide solution.
    I may wrongly mentioned Natron above, but it should have the properties from an acid.
    Hey Joit,

    I do have some alum I ordered several pounds from a company for alum batteries.

    Sorry to sound so novice, but how would a small cap be built with tissue?

    Cool tread for supercaps!!

    thanks,
    wantomake

  8. ewizard

    #8 ·

    wantomake wrote:

    Hi aaron5120,
    Can one use graphite based lubricant from Home Depot to do some small experiments? I have limited access and knowledge of phosphoric acid, so was thinking of anything simple to use.

    thanks,
    wantomake
    Be extremely careful with stronger forms of phosphoric acid as it's as strong or stronger than some of the strongest acids like sulfuric, hydrochloric and nitric acids. As I recall from college chemistry lab work we were warned it was more dangerous than any of the other 3 mentioned here.

  9. Berg

    #9 ·

    How to Make Graphene

    Interesting videos on how to make graphene:

    How to make graphene oxide part 1 - improved audio - YouTube
    how to make graphene 2 - improved audio - YouTube
    Graphene part 3 - an update and making graphite intercalated compounds - YouTube

    Cheers

  10. Joit

    #10 ·

    hi wanttomake,
    the tissue is only as a spacer and for to hold the electrolyte, since they dont use actually any isolating layer like plastic or something similar.
    Below there you see at the second Picture what they use
    Graphene supercapacitors are 20 times as powerful, can be made with a DVD burner | ExtremeTech
    and here is the polymere membran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyme...olyte_membrane
    but since i dont have such a membran i need to see if i can use something else.
    Also i dont have a idea right now how you can transform graphit oxid or graphene oxid back into graphen without a lightscribe burner. probatly there is a way, but no idea how, and probatly you need such one if you want to make it.

  11. wantomake

    #11 ·

    interesting indeed

    Thanks ewizard,
    Exactly why I don't buy or touch any acids at all. Like I posted, I don't have knowledge of these chemicals.

    @ berg, thanks for the interesting youtubes. I would like to build something just to see it work. This is the future of EVs, pc tech,
    and wow, so much more.

    @joit, thanks for the reply. I did try the tape thing with pencil graphit on two pieces of one inch square tape and put alum on both
    then sandwiched tissue between. It charged up and held a charge to my surprise. So this is cool indeed.

    No problem with the lightscribe burner, there is one in the family. I looked to purchase some graphit but it was rather pricey.
    Is the core of 6 volt batteries graphit? I have several of those. Or is it carbon. Any way, back to google and more studying.

    Thanks all,
    wantomake

  12. IndianaBoys

    #12 ·

    Berg,

    Thanks for posting.

    Very useful information in all his videos.

    IndianaBoys

  13. Joit

    #13 ·

    wanttomake,
    you can buy graphit usual at ebay or at a hardwarestore. its something like a lubricant and you can get it as powder. I think its pretty pure. And not to expansive, probatly for 5 $ or less for a small bottle, but enough to play arund with it.
    A Pencil is graphit too, but its mixed with pug, what gives the pencil then the hardness grade.
    Maybe this Video is interesting for you too


    I now played still only with Aluminium strips, to see if i can make any useful electrolyte.
    The problem i found is, even still destilled water let Current (like Energy) run through, and it did discharge slowly. With Alum it did discharge even a bit faster.
    But 2 handsize sheets hold at last 0,5 V and showed 300ma with alum between.
    But it did discharge, and this is the leakage Voltage, what most Capacitors usually have, since they are not really isolated from eachother.
    There are still more things i ponder with. A Polymermembran is a kind of plastic?
    I am still not sure, how much layers they used for that capacitor. They said, they could make in 30 min about 30 from this Pattern, but they are actually a bit to small for let a led 5 minutes run.
    Also, i wonder, if they did not make one Electrode from graphit, and just the other side from graphene.
    That is usually how polarized capacitors are made.

  14. Berg

    #14 ·

    Graphene Mass Production


    Apparently, graphene can be mass produced, according to Victor Petrik.

    Improved Synthesis of Graphene Oxide
    Answer: Can graphene be mass produced?
    The Future for Graphene
    Graphene Future Applications
    Commercial Production of Graphene Cool Experiment
    Victor Petrik Conducts Lecture on Graphene and Demonstrates Production of Graphene
    Victor Petrik Demonstrates Production of Graphene
    Victor Petrik about Grafene
    Graphite Oxide + Water + Laser = Supercapacitor

    Victor Petrik Graphene Patent #7,842,271

    Patent US7842271 - Mass production of carbon nanostructures - Google Patents

    Patent US20110171109 - Mass Production of Carbon Nanostructures - Google Patents

    See: Graphenes Production Using the Method of Cold Graphite Destruction

    Cheers

  15. kolpo

    #15 ·

    Hi guys.Graphene and its properties look pretty impressive.Check this video where they use magnesium powder and dry ice to produce graphene

    NIU scientists produce graphene in a simple, green way. - YouTube

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