EFFECT OF LITHIUM INSERTION ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF INDIVIDUAL COMMERCIAL PAN CARBON FIBRES FOR MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPOSITES

Paper in proceeding, 2022

Carbon fibres can act simultaneously as structural reinforcement and battery electrode. Such multifunctionality is utilised in structural batteries where energy storing capabilities are integrated into load-carrying components, thus creating “mass-less energy storage”. Lightweight energy storage is desirable for various applications, particularly electric vehicles, whose driving range is heavily inhibited by the weight of conventional lithium-ion battery packs.

Structural batteries rely on the ability of carbon fibres to host lithium-ions in their microstructure. Currently, there is a lack in knowledge of how lithium atoms distribute in carbon fibres and what the effects on individual fibres are. Here, with AES and XPS, we elucidate the element distribution in pristine and lithiated T800 PAN-based carbon fibres. Furthermore, mechanical properties are investigated with single filament tensile tests and fractography. It gives an increased understanding of the effect of lithiation on mechanical performance of carbon fibres.