Method of treating carbon electrode
A method of treating a carbon electrode includes heat treating a carbon-based electrode in an environment that is above approximately 325° C. and that includes an oxidizing gas, and prior to use of the carbon-based electrode in an electro-chemical battery device, soaking the carbon-based electrode in an oxidizer solution.
1. A method of treating a carbon electrode, the method comprising:
(a) heat treating a carbon-based electrode in an environment that is above approximately 325° C. and that includes an oxidizing gas; and
(b) prior to use of the carbon-based electrode in an electro-chemical battery device, soaking the carbon-based electrode from said step (a) in an oxidizer solution, and applying a voltage potential to the carb-based electrode during step (b), wherein the voltage potential is selected such that it does not cause evolution of oxygen from the oxidizer solution.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of peroxide, oxyacid, peroxysulfate, permanganate, dioxovanadium sulfate (V(V) aq ), and combinations thereof.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises peroxide.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises oxyacid.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises peroxysulfate.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises permanganate.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises ozone.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises vanadium oxide (V).
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the temperature is approximately 400° C. to approximately 450° C.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the voltage potential is approximately 1.4 to approximately 2.0 volts versus a standard hydrogen reference electrode.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carbon-based electrode initially in said step (a) is substantially free of oxides.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the heat treating causes oxide groups to form on a surface of the carbon-based electrode.
13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the soaking causes oxide groups to form on the surface of the carbon-based electrode.
14. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the soaking increases the oxidation step of the oxide groups formed by the heat treating.
15. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing gas comprises at least approximately 15 vol % oxygen.
16. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising rinsing the carbon-based electrode after the soaking step to remove residual oxidizer solution from the carbon-based electrode.
17. A method of treating a carbon electrode, the method comprising:
(a) heat treating a carbon-based electrode in an air environment that is approximately 400° C. to approximately 450° C.;
(b) prior to use of the carbon-based electrode in an electro-chemical battery device, soaking the carbon-based electrode from said step (a) in an oxidizer solution including an oxidizer selected from the group consisting of peroxide, oxyacid, peroxysulfate, permanganate, ozone, vanadium oxide (V), and combinations thereof; and
(c) during the soaking, applying a voltage potential to the carbon-based electrode, wherein the voltage potential is selected such that it does not cause evolution of oxygen from the oxidizer solution.
18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the voltage potential is approximately 1.4 to approximately 2.0 volts versus a standard hydrogen reference electrode.
19. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises peroxide.
20. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises oxyacid.
21. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises peroxysulfate.
22. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises permanganate.
23. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises ozone.
24. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the oxidizer solution comprises vanadium oxide (V).