Duration: 24 months
A new generation of fluorinated carbons (CFx) as cathodes for primary lithium batteries will be prepared by grinding sub-fluorinated carbons (x in CFx less than 1, typically 0.7-0.8) and sub-fluorination of expanded graphite. Expanded graphite and graphite recycled from lithium-ion batteries will be considered for the first time as starting materials for fluorination. Unusual CFx (with low lateral size of the fluorocarbon sheets and/or low stacking) will be used to mitigate the drawbacks of CFx, including initial voltage delay at low temperature, thermal management at higher discharge rates, and material cost. The required energy and power densities, namely 1800 Wh/kg and 10,000 W/kg in terms of materials, respectively, and an operating rate of 8C are essential for space applications.
