Dry particle based capacitor and methods of making same

1. A process for manufacturing an electrode for use in an energy storage device product, the process comprising the steps of:

supplying dry carbon particles;

supplying dry binder;

dry mixing the dry carbon particles and dry binder; and

dry fibrillizing the dry binder to create a matrix within which to support the dry carbon particles as a dry material.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step of dry fibrillizing comprises application of sufficiently high-shear.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the high-shear is applied in a jet-mill.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the application of sufficiently high-shear is effectuated by application of a high pressure.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the high pressure is applied as a high pressure gas.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the gas comprises oxygen.

7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the pressure is greater than or equal to about 60 PSI.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein the gas is applied at with a water content of less than 20 ppm.

9. The process of claim 1 , further comprising a step of compacting the dry material.

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the step of compacting is performed after one pass through a compacting apparatus.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the compacting apparatus is a roll-mill.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein after the one pass through the compacting apparatus the dry material comprises a self supporting dry film.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the self supporting dry film comprises a thickness of less than about 250 microns.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the self supporting dry film is formed as a continuous sheet.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the sheet is at least one meter long.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material is manufactured without the substantial use of any processing additives.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the processing additives include: hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and isoparaffinic fluids.

18. The process of claim 1 , further comprising a step of calendering the dry material onto a substrate.

19. The process of claim 18 , wherein the substrate comprises a collector.

20. The process of claim 19 , wherein the collector comprises an aluminum foil.

21. The process of claim 18 , wherein the dry material is calendered directly onto the substrate without use of an intermediate layer.

22. The process of claim 18 , wherein the dry material is calendered onto a treated substrate.

23. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry binder comprises a fibrillizable fluoropolymer.

24. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material consists of the dry carbon particles and the dry binder.

25. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 50% to 99% activated carbon.

26. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 0% to 25% conductive carbon.

27. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 0.5% to 20% fluoropolymer particles.

28. The process of claim 1 , wherein the dry material comprises between about 80% to 95% activated carbon and between about 0% to 15% conductive carbon, and wherein the dry binder comprises between about 3% to 15% fluoropolymer.

29. A method of manufacturing an electrode, comprising the steps of: mixing dry carbon and dry binder particles; and forming a self-supporting film from the dry particles without the use of any processing additives.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the processing additives include: hydrocarbons, high boiling point solvents, antifoaming agents, surfactants, dispersion aids, water, pyrrolidone mineral spirits, ketones, naphtha, acetates, alcohols, glycols, toluene, xylene, and isoparaffinic fluids.