Rate capability of natural Swedish graphite as anode material in Li-ion batteries

Jet-milled natural Swedish graphite has been evaluated as an anode material for Li-ion battery applications, with a focus on rate capability of the material. The material was found to have a superior rate capability compared to other carbon materials with similar particle sizes. It could also intercalate and deintercalate lithium reversibly in an electrolyte based on propylene carbonate:ethylene carbonate (1:1). Jet-milling was found to increase the amount of rhombohedral phase (3R) in the material from 15 to 40%. However, after repeated electrochemical intercalation and deintercalation of lithium, the amount of 3R phase decreases to not, vert, similar5%. Neither rate capability nor PC-tolerance can therefore be correlated to the amount of 3R phase.