Broad Base. Best Solutions.
Graphite Materials and Systems
Specialty
Graphites for
Energy Storage
22
Specialty Graphite and Process
Solutions – made by SGL Group.
̥̥ Advanced material, equipment,
and process solutions
̥̥ Engineered for customers from
more than 35 industries
̥̥ Tailor-made from the most
comprehensive product portfolio
̥̥ In-depth production and
material knowledge
̥̥ Consistent high quality, performance,
and service
̥̥ Attractive total cost of ownership
Broad Base. Best Solutions.
Business Unit Graphite Materials and Systems
3
Advanced solutions
enable our customers
to get ahead.
SGL Group offers advanced solutions – even for challenging applications.
We understand the specific requirements of our customers and combine
in-depth production, material, and engineering knowledge with the most
comprehensive specialty graphite portfolio. This makes us the partner of
choice to leading companies in many different industries.
Exceptional resistance to heat and corrosion, high
SGL Group covers the entire value chain of
purity and mechanical strength are just a few of
specialty graphite production, including raw
the outstanding properties which our materials
material processing, semi-finished product
offer. Specialty graphite products from SGL Group
manufacture, precision machining, purification,
achieve optimal results where other materials fail.
and coating. When it comes to engineering of
No matter what your specific requirements might
equipment and process solutions our service
be, we will identify the best solution from the most
range makes the difference: We offer mechanical
comprehensive range of specialty graphites.
and process design, production, assembly, commissioning, and service – all from a one-stop shop.
̥̥ Fine grain graphite: isostatic, vibrationmolded, die-molded, extruded
This is how we control and ensure the consistent
̥̥ Expanded natural graphite
high quality, reliability, and performance of our
̥̥ Carbon fiber-reinforced carbon (C/C)
products – and enable our customers to become
̥̥ Soft and rigid graphite felts
more competitive. Challenge us. We are there for
̥̥ Silicon carbide-coated graphite materials
you worldwide.
Additionally we use other materials like PTFE,
Specialty graphite solutions for energy storage
silicon carbide, and specialty metals.
­­­
Energy storage systems are a key component in
With our portfolio and technical know-how
enabling the shift towards renewables making
spanning more than 35 different industries,
the energy revolution a success and ensuring
we engineer tailor-made solutions in close
the mobility of the future. With over 30 years of
partnership with our customers.
experience and an innovative product portfolio
SGL Group is the preferred partner of leading
r Production of expanded graphite foils
companies worldwide.
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Specialty graphites – made by SGL Group.
Energy storage solutions.
SIGRACELL® is the new brand name for our
specialty graphite for energy storage.
Lithium-ion batteries
Lead acid batteries
Typical applications
Lithium-ion batteries (LiB)
Lead acid batteries (LAB)
Products
of the SGL Group
SIGRACELL® specialty graphites
SIGRACELL® expanded graphite powders
SIGRACELL® synthetic graphite powders
Materials made of
carbon and graphite
Graphite anode materials
Conductive additives
Carbon composite anode materials
SPECIALTY GRAPHITE solutions FOR ENERGY STORAGE
5
Based on our long-term experience and close development
With their high electrical conductivity, corrosion-resistance
partnerships we provide tailor-made solutions to our
and material purity our specialty graphites meet the
customers.
highest standards for quality, efficiency and environmental
compatibility. This leads to an increase of performance and
reliability of energy storage in a wide range of applications.
Flow batteries
Next generation batteries
Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB)
High-temperature batteries (NaNiCl2/NaS)
Iron-chromium redox flow batteries (FeCrRFB)
Next generation batteries
SIGRACELL® battery felts
SIGRACELL® bipolar plates
SIGRACELL® battery felts
SIGRACELL® graphite foils
SIGRACET® carbon papers
Electrodes
Electrodes
Bipolar end-plates
Active masses
Bipolar plates
Gas diffusion layers (GDL)
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Graphite powder for
lithium-ion batteries
Our cutting-edge battery lab creates tailormade material solutions for our customers
and development partners.
It enables us to develop and characterize
new materials using particle engineering
and working according to industry
standards.
SPECIALTY GRAPHITEs FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
7
Specialty graphites for
lithium-ion batteries
Our graphite anode materials are used in lithiumion batteries for mobile consumer appliances,
electric vehicles and stationary energy storages for
photovoltaic and wind. In order to spur technological progress even further, we invest in new
generations of graphite-based anode materials and
take active part in national and international
networks.
For over 15 years we have been working in close
cooperation with Hitachi Chemical Corporation,
supplying our partner with anode material for
lithium-ion batteries in consumer electronics, as
well as for automotive and industrial applications.
SGL Group is one of the largest manufacturers
of LiB anode materials and plays a major role
c LiB test cell production in a clean room atmosphere
in the advancement of LiB technology like C/Si
compounds.
As a member of the Lithium-Ion Battery
Competence Network (KLiB) we seek to strengthen
Germany's competitiveness in this key technology.
That’s why we are continuously working together
with industrial enterprises and research institutions
to improve battery cell performance, service life and
safety.
Further we invest in new generations of carbon
and graphite-based battery materials for the next
generation coordinated by our Energy lab and
Application Center.
c Electrode production at the Technology & Innovation Center
for subsequent electrochemical characterization
b Anode material
for lithium-ion batteries
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Partner for environmentally
friendly energy storage
We have used our extensive understanding
of specific customer requirements to refine
our portfolio of carbon and graphite felts.
The result: SIGRACELL battery felts for
energy storage. In Cellcube flow battery
system, they contribute to the rapid supply
of clean and emission-free energy. They
also increase safety and storage ability.
This is just one example of an applicationspecific optimized solution from the
SGL Group.
SPECIALTY GRAPHITES FOR Lead acid BATTERIES
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Specialty graphites for lead acid batteries
High-performance, versatile, efficient.
We provide SIGRACELL battery additives for lead acid
SGL Group’s combination of application-oriented research,
batteries. Highly conductive carbon additives with following
extensive knowledge of materials and expertise in process
advantages:
technology make it the partner of choice in carbon components for energy storage.
• High purity, especially very low levels of metal impurities
• Excellent wettability
All material development work starts with a well-founded
• Easy to mix into the lead paste
understanding of the physical and chemical principles which
• Combination with conductive carbon blacks possible
determine the material’s subsequent use. SGL Group has
its own energy laboratory with experienced specialists at its
All these key features lead to improved Dynamic Charge
main technology and innovation research center, and works
Acceptance (DCA) and a high cycling stability during high rate
in close cooperation with leading universities and institutes.
partial state of charge. The increased performance in high
This allows us to incorporate new findings in the field of
current applications gives a crucial improvement for lead acid
electrochemical energy storage directly into our material
batteries.
development.
b Redox flow battery test cell
in our in-house Energy lab
Material data for our SIGRACELL® battery additives
Typical properties
Particle size
distribution
Specific surface area
Units
D₁₀
Synthetic graphite
GFG20 HP
SG2μ
7
20
1
SG4μ
2
2
4
67
4
7
23
30 – 40
15 – 20
< 0.05
D₅₀
µm
D₉₀
BET
µm
m2/g
%
< 0.1
< 0.05
Cd
ppm
< 1.0
< 0.1
< 0.1
Cr
ppm
< 5.0
< 1.0
< 1.0
Ash content
Selected
elements
µm
Expanded graphite
Cu
ppm
< 5.0
< 0.5
< 0.5
Fe
Mn
ppm
< 150
< 30
< 30
ppm
< 5.0
< 0.5
< 0.5
Mo
ppm
< 0.5
< 0.5
< 0.5
Ni
ppm
< 5.0
< 2.0
< 2.0
W
ppm
< 1.0
< 0.3
< 0.3
More detailed parameters like test of lead affinity and water consumption results are available on request. Please contact us!
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Specialty graphites for flow batteries
Reliable and easily adaptable to meet the specific requirements.
Flow batteries enable energy storage on a scale of
kWh to MWh and provide the perfect solution for
3
2
1
2
3
5
5
4
4
stationary applications. They are well-suited as
temporary storage for grid stabilization, industrial
back-up power, integration of renewables such as
wind and photovoltaic as well as off-grid power
supply for mobile radio transmitters and remote
households. The main advantage of flow batteries is
that they separate output (MW) and energy (MWh).
The two can be adjusted independently of one
another and are easily adaptable to the specific
requirements at hand.
SGL Group ranks among the leading
manufacturers of specialty graphites and
Charge / Discharge
graphite components for redox flow batteries.
We have applied our long-term experience and
c Schematic diagram
close cooperation with customers to develop special
of redox flow battery
1Membrane
2 Permeable electrode
3 Bipolar plate
4 Storage electrode
5Electrolyte
materials and products for energy storage:
SIGRACELL battery felts, bipolar plates and endplates. Continuous improvement of our materials
has significantly enhanced the performance and
service life of our customers flow batteries.
Specialty graphites for flow batteries
Applications
Permeable electrodes
Bipolar plates
SIGRACELL battery felts
SIGRACELL bipolar plates and end-plates
○
○
SPECIALTY GRAPHITEs FOR FLOW BATTERIES
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Low cell resistivity and high electrolyte permeability are crucial factors for flow battery electrodes.
Accordingly, the contact resistivity of the bipolar
plate and felt electrode, as well as the permeability
of the felt electrode largely depend on surface
pressure and felt compression, and can be
controlled by the compression rate:
• As the compression rate increases, resistivity
decreases, as does permeability.
• Conversely, permeability and resistance increase
as the compression rate decreases.
Inhomogeneity in the battery felt can lead to impermeable areas reducing the overall performance of
the system. Therefore SGL Group is continuously
working on tighter tolerances for area weight and
thickness of our battery felts. This enables our
customers to optimize the compression rates to
ensure the best battery performance possible.
2
Additional technical information please
find in our White Paper: “SIGRACELL Carbon
c Flow battery components
Components for Flow Batteries” on request.
Relative electrical resistivity of graphite felt
Electrolyte permeability of graphite felt electrodes
100
Electrolyte permeability [darcy]
Electrical resistivity [%]
80
60
40
20
0
0
5
Compression rate [%]
10
15
3
1 Ion-exchange membrane
2 SIGRACELL battery felt
3 SIGRACELL bipolar plate
20
25
160
1.6E-10
140
1.4E-10
120
1.2E-10
100
1.0E-10
80
8.0E-11
60
6.0E-11
40
4.0E-11
20
2.0E-11
0.0E-11
0
0
5
10
15
Compression rate [%]
20
25
30
35
Electrolyte permeability [m2]
1
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SIGRACELL® battery felts
Permeable electrodes made of SIGRACELL carbon and graphite
felts are the first choice for high-temperature batteries such as
nickel-chloride and flow batteries. Our battery felts are used for
anodes as well as cathodes. They facilitate an efficient charge
exchange between the electrolyte and bipolar plate during
battery charging and discharging. This is thanks to a unique
combination of electrical conductivity, electrochemical stability,
high porosity and good elasticity.
The sizes we provide are even enough to cover the needs of
large-scale redox flow systems.
We supply battery felts in standard sizes up to 1350 mm (53")
in width in 25 m (82 ft) rolls. Beyond that, we produce carbon
and graphite felts in customer-specific dimensions.
c SIGRACELL carbon and graphite felts
Moreover we offer activated carbon and graphite felts
which increases voltage, charge and energy efficiency.
For further information please contact us.
Advantage of our complete inhouse value chain
fiber
raw felt
carbonizing
carbon felt
graphitizing
graphite felt
cut-to-size
Material data for our SIGRACELL® battery felt
Typical properties
KFD2.5 EA
GFD 2.5 EA
GFD 4.6 EA
GFA 6 EA
PAN
PAN
PAN
Rayon
g / cm³
0.1
0.09
0.09
0.08
mm
2.5
250
2.5
250
4.6
465
6.0
500
Units
Carbon fiber precursor
Bulk density
Nominal thickness
Area weight
Open porosity
g / m²
%
> 90
94
94
95
BET surface area
m²/g
0.6
0.4
0.4
0.8
Electrical resistivity –I
Ωmm
< 30
< 5
< 5
< 12
Electrical resistivity II
Ωmm
< 10
< 3
< 3
< 4
Area-specific resistance* –I
Ωcm²
–
< 0.1
< 0.15
< 0.45
%
< 0.6
< 0.05
< 0.05
< 0.1
Total impurities
II parallel to longitudinal direction of felt; –I vertical to longitudinal direction of felt; *compression to 80% of initial thickness
SPECIALTY GRAPHITEs FOR ENERGY STORAGE
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SIGRACELL® bipolar plates
and end-plates
c SIGRACELL bipolar plates made of expanded graphite (TF6/PV15)
c SIGRACELL bipolar end-plates made of graphite composite material (F100)
The main features that distinguish expanded natural graphite are exceptional resistance to chemicals and good electrical conductivity. Together
Available sizes of our SIGRACELL® bipolar plates
with high-grade fluoropolymers, our thin, high-density SIGRACELL
Grade
bipolar plates can be used for a broad spectrum of applications. Thanks to
TF6
PV15
their great resistance to corrosion, our SIGRACELL products are ideally
suited for the demanding cell chemistry in battery systems. Redox flow
batteries are but one example of the many uses for SIGRACELL plates.
Thickness
mm (in)
Length
mm (in)
Width
mm (in)
0.6 (0.02)
900 (36)
600 (24)
0.6 (0.02)
900 (36)
600 (24)
We will also be glad to produce other formats upon.
For bipolar end-plates as well as further grades please contact us.
Material data for our SIGRACELL® bipolar plates
Typical properties
Units
TF6
PV15
Fluoropolymer
Fluoropolymer
g / cm³
1.75
1.65
Thickness
mm
0.6
0.6
Tensile strength
MPa
20
25
Compressive strength
MPa
150
170
Polymer type
Density
Electrical resistivity –I
Area-specific resistance –I
Thermal conductivity –I
Thermal conductivity II
Permeability (helium)
Total impurities
II parallel direction of plate; –I vertical direction of plate
Ωmm
< 10
< 10
Ωcm²
< 0.05
< 0.05
Wm⁻¹K⁻¹
6
6
Wm⁻¹K⁻¹
300
300
mg /(m²s)
< 1 x 10⁻³
< 1 x 10⁻³
ppm
< 150
< 150
14
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We will find the best solution –
in partnership with you.
The fascinating potential of carbon as a
material excites us and inspires us to develop
optimum solutions in partnership with
our customers.
With our comprehensive material portfolio
and valuable specialist know-how, we can
manufacture tailored products – even for
the most challenging applications.
Consistently high quality, a global presence,
innovative strength, and the extensive
experience of our employees make us a
reliable partner to our customers.
Whatever challenges you face, together we
will find the best solution.
SGL Group – the Carbon Company
15
SGL Group –
The Carbon Company.
A leading global
manufacturer of
carbon-based products.
Q Unique product portfolio
Q Innovative technologies and solutions
Q Production sites close to sales markets
Q Technology & Innovation Center in Germany
with international networks
b Anode material test production
at our Technology & Innovation Center
We have wide-ranging expertise in raw materials,
We use this broad base to offer our customers the
advanced manufacturing processes, and long-
best solutions possible. That’s how we live up to our
standing application and engineering know-how.
claim: Broad Base. Best Solutions. This claim is also
We have a comprehensive portfolio of carbon,
upheld by our corporate SGL Excellence philosophy
graphite, and carbon fiber products and our
of continuous improvement.
carbon fiber to composites. With a global sales and
­
distribution network and modern production sites
More information can be found by visiting:
in Europe, North America, and Asia, we are close to
www.sglgroup.com
integrated value chain covers everything from
our customers throughout the world.
C sglgroup
sglgroup
Contact
europe/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA
SGL CARBON GmbH
Drachenburgstrasse 1
53170 Bonn/Germany
[email protected]
americaS
SGL TECHNIC Inc.
Polycarbon Division
28176 No. Avenue Stanford
CA 91355 Valencia/USA
[email protected]
asia/pacific
SGL CARBON Far East Ltd.
12 Fl, Shanghai Oriental Plaza
31 Wujiang Road
Shanghai 200041/PR China
[email protected]
® registered trademarks of SGL CARBON SE
05 2017/0.2 5NÄ Printed in Germany
This information is based on our present state of knowledge and is intended to provide general notes on our
products and their uses. It should therefore not be construed as guaranteeing specific properties of the products described or their suitability for a particular application. Any existing industrial property rights must be
observed. The quality of our products is guaranteed under our “General Conditions of Sale”.
Graphite Materials & Systems
SGL CARBON GmbH
Soehnleinstrasse 8 | 65201 Wiesbaden/Germany
www.sglgroup.com/gms