Partially Carbonized Carbon Fibers as an Improved Multifunctional Structural Battery Electrode

Paper in proceeding, 2025

Carbon fibres are increasingly explored for use in structural battery electrodes due to their ability to combine mechanical strength and stiffness with electrochemical functionality. The properties of carbon fibres are largely governed by their microstructure, which is shaped by the processing conditions-particularly the carbonisation temperature. This study focuses on exploring how partial carbonisation during manufacture influences the multifunctional performance of carbon fibres. The manufactured fibres are subjected to mechanical and electrochemical tests to evaluate their tensile properties, and reversible capacity. The results confirm previously reported multifunctionality trade-offs: when comparing to conventional intermediate modulus carbon fibres, by reaching a maximum temperature of 900 °C (compared to the usual 1500 °C) the electrochemical capacity increases at the expense of mechanical performance. Up to a 50% reduction in tensile modulus is observed alongside a 40% improvement in electrochemical capacity. These findings highlight the potential to greatly expand the achievable multifunctionality window for carbon fibres by adjusting the maximum carbonisation temperature, enabling a versatile design of active materials for structural energy-storing applications.