Supercapacitor - how to make, for a greener future

#Ultracapacitor #carbide #sulfate #DIY #acetonitrile #TEMABF4 #activated
Check out how to make a simple and most advanced supercapacitors or ultracapacitors.
Ultracapacitor can turn a metal rod into a glowing sparkle.
Aqueous supercapacitors can be made from household materials, using activated carbon from water filter, metal mesh from pan oil splatter and a Tic Tac box.
World's best supercapacitors are made of carbide derived carbon, full process is shown here.
Animation and working principle of electrical double layer capacitor is explained.
Sehen Sie sich an, wie Sie einen einfachen und fortschrittlichsten Superkondensator oder Ultrakondensator herstellen.
Vea cómo hacer supercondensadores o ultracondensadores simples y más avanzados.
Veja como fazer supercapacitores ou ultracapacitores simples e avançados.
Узнайте, как сделать простые и самые современные суперконденсаторы или ультраконденсаторы.
Découvrez comment fabriquer des supercondensateurs ou des ultracondensateurs simples et les plus avancés.
Sprawdź jak wykonać proste i najbardziej zaawansowane superkondensatory lub ultrakondensatory.
간단하고 가장 진보된 슈퍼커패시터 또는 울트라커패시터를 만드는 방법을 확인하십시오.
シンプルで最先端のスーパーキャパシターまたはウルトラキャパシターの作り方をご覧ください。
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@chemicum

[@edgeeffect]

I love how this video combines research grade work in your lab and cheap "Tic Tac box technology" that we can try at home.

[@BillDemos]

Wow! This is the best by far video I've seen on super caps! What a wonderful in-depth analysis of how to construct a simple and more advanced one! Keep it up! Excellent quality! You don't find easily this quality on youtube.

[@vivekkumar5800]

TOTALLY...BEST SO FAR

[@jafinch78]

@@vivekkumar5800 Motion 2nd'd and approved to be the "best by far video I've seen on super caps." Wondering how the old days versions of Lithium Titanate and/or Barium Titanate rank when compared?

[@MrElapid]

Great explanation! I had no idea how these things worked, I'd imagined there was a dielectric with a huge dielectric constant but I couldn't imagine what it could be.

[@microphotography2090]

Great Video. Have you ever messed around with zinc ion aqueous supercap hybrids? You could make it using your same tic tac setup, using zinc sulfate but zinc metal as negative. Energy density is around 104 watt hours per kg at 1.9v! Really insane chemistry since it has all the same benefits as a super cap, but battery energy density! I make these things every day at home! One of mine is at 150 cycles with no loss. I haven't achieved 104 wh kg, but other scientists have. The highest I've gotten is just over 80 wh kg.

[@chemicum]

Zinc ion battery with solid electrolyte can be 100 Wh/kg but not supercapacitor. I have published Zn supercapacitor paper: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10008-021-05028-3 However, in articles the energy density is per single electrode, in full cell divide it by 4-10. I have also made homemade Zn supercapacitor - capacitance was higher, but power was much lower.

[@microphotography2090]

@@chemicum Awesome! And yes, I calculate my energy density based on active material weight, not final device. I've managed to squeeze 1 watt hour into a 4cm x 6cm pouch cell for a cost under $1(3d paste/membrane design). Do you think this chemistry deserves more attention as an alternate grid storage device though? Aqueous zinc ion is super cheap to make, and very simple. I personally think it's one of the best home made devices for energy density, and if constructed properly, and treated well, it can last a very long time.

[@jafinch78]

Wondering how the carbon fiber surface area can be best prepped to compact more maybe? Wondering what the optimal particle size is and how that is explained best as well? My initial thoughts are ease of making... though wondering why the smaller particle size carbon wasn't used? Thanks for sharing! Really neat and cool! Awesome videos!

[@chemicum]

In the homemade method smaller carbon particles would not work, will sink into the liquid glue.

[@Evgw]

I love how he left the tic tac label on the capacitor

[@glazzinfo6031]

She Not he

[@frk_c]

Muy educacional y entretenido.

[@zvotaisvfi8678]

Best Video on KZbin!

[@PoKongChung]

All the tic tac capacitors are so cuteeeeeee! I love 🥰🥰

[@mubafaw]

Brilliant instructional video. Thanks

[@kartiravichandiren5405]

Best and cheapest method of making SC ❤

[@adrianretamozo4936]

Do you think potassium sulfate would give acceptable results?

[@chemicum]

It should be perfect

[@Broke30YearOldShmuck]

Brilliant very instructive video man

[@timothysands5537]

Amazing, I loved watching this video. I would watch another just like it.

[@Dinco422]

This is insane... I'll share it! Where you from, you sound balkan :) Really ingenious!

[@aadhithvarathan5432]

Wonderful

[@smirkingLurker]

This is awesome!! Any guidance on how to pick the right electrolyte? It seems that you just did this via trial & error in the video, but are there equations that can predict which electrolyte will perform best?

[@chemicum]

There are many papers published about this topic and EMImCl*AlCl3 seems to be the best electrolyte, whereas urea*AlCl3 seemes to be the cheapest variant.

[@dogodogo5891]

wow this is hidden gem about capacitor! but i dont quite understand about carbon role, you said it was electrode but commonly in cap things they will mention about dielectric, so carbon acted as both of them?

[@chemicum]

supercapacitor is a bit different that dielectric capacitor. In a supercapacitor, dielectric is water (or organic solvent or ion itself) molecule between ion and carbon. As the dielectric is thin, capacitance is large, but voltage is low.

[@cristianpopescu78]

Cool!

[@hannahpalomar583]

hello how will you determine where the negative and positive poles?

[@chemicum]

In the beginning just choose one pole to be + and the other -. Later, use the same pole as +, don't change polarity.

[@reazx]

May I know what is the liquid that you mixed with the epoxy glue?

[@chemicum]

epoxy is a two component glue

[@markrob1550]

Does the activated carbon has to be from coconut shell? or only the size matters?

[@chemicum]

The most important parameter for a home-made supercapacitor is that the activated carbon must have a good electronic conductivity. It can be made from other sources.

[@sonalallsomun8249]

Thats great🎉

[@laharl2k]

wouldnt it help to grind the activated carbon in a ball mill ? i guess that if the layer is thinned you could fit more electrodes in the same space, and the surface being smoother it could help with avoiding the separator from getting punctured by the huge carbon grains you could even use a thinner but much more resistant piece of cloth for the membrane, say nylon. I think that could help increase the power density of the diy super caps.

[@chemicum]

Idea is good, but the glue method does not work with fine powder. We tested with powdered active carbon from a water filter - conductivity too low,it needs conductive additive.

[@laharl2k]

@@chemicum You should try using some conductive binder, or even sintering it to the electrods. My guess is that the epoxy is too viscous so the fine particles dont get pushed enough to touch the electrode. Maybe mixing a high percentag of graphite with the epoxy, enough that it will still somewhat hold to itself but will be mostly graphite. Another option regarding sinthering would be using corn starch and corn flour to make a paste, mix it with the fine carbon and use that as the binder, add more carbon on top and then when you press it, heat it up to about 300-400ºC, that will dry and carbonize the paste making more clean carbon crystals and binding all together. This will be quite brittle but should give you the best results as there would be no glue at all to act as insulator and once the lectrodes are packed inside the case it shouldnt be a problem.

[@chemicum]

@@laharl2k The graphite addition works, we tested. Still, the method would be complicated as a do-it-yourself-at-home supercapacitor, because the contact with the current collector would be problematic - all good solutions are expensive.

[@carloseduardocardoso6659]

Amazing video. It will help me a lot to proceed my work. Thank you. Just a question: using cellulose sheets as membranes, have you made any special treatment with it?

[@chemicum]

no treatment, but there are different papers available

[@markrob1550]

How would a press with smaller/bigger force, effect the performance? (of the homade version), how did you figure out that the press has to be 20T?

[@chemicum]

20T is good for two electrodes, 10T is suitable for a single electrode. Larger pressure has indeed positive effect to the performance.

[@shabbirahammed4596]

nice...

[@admeyer777]

Try a lead sulphate electrolyte it will have a higher energy density and a slower release of energy and increasing the thickness of your dielectric material will reduce burnout and slow the release speed.. Look at the dielectric as a diaphragm the thicker the slower the release speed of the energy and the more powerful the release speed "energy density"..

[@chemicum]

I though that PbSO4 is insoluble

[@qnedim3200]

How will you make this cylindrical (will you?) Have you tried turning carbon or graphite into a flat sheet under high pressure instead of stainless steel and coating it with activated carbon? Very nice video, thank you.

[@jutech2856]

Another Question: could you please make a Video about the pseudo/hybride capacitor with the MnO2 or write a short answer about how to make a MnO2 electrode and how much MnO2 to use, etc. Thanks 👍

[@chemicum]

we have made those, but efficiency was not good

[@Awiranata36]

wow very nice explanations, what about using salt water solution as the electrolyte? will it also works? thanks

[@chemicum]

NaCl water solution? It would work at very low voltages - perhaps 0.7 V. At higher voltages, chlorine will form, which dissolves current collectors.

[@jhonatampinheiro0]

Nice video, could you please tell me the software name ? I have been working with a metrohm potentiostat too, but with metrohm NOVA software, that software seems to be interesting too. thanks !

[@chemicum]

It is Nova 1.1

[@jhonatampinheiro0]

@@chemicum really ? 🤣🤣 it's so different, it seems to be from another company :)

[@Tomy_Stank]

Hey did you improve or researched to increase efficiency of al air battery. If than please make video on it.

[@chemicum]

I will

[@Tomy_Stank]

@@chemicum I will like to give you some advice Make dual electrolyte As al get corroded from aqueous soln Use non aqueous soln Like methanol with koh And on cathode side use aqueous sol so oxyegen can react with it This will increase its efficiency

[@chemicum]

@@Tomy_Stank I am aware of that system, but the energy density and power of alcohol system is lower than for aqueous system.

[@Tomy_Stank]

@@chemicum ok so what about adding some percentage of water in it will it increases its power?

[@davey2k12]

Bloody hell that was a quick video 😂

[@DigIntoGaming]

I seen someone use activated carbon felt and a vacuum sealer, like you use for food to make super capacitors.

[@jamesmhaycristerduenas9906]

Hi, can someone help me, where can i buy the Activated-Carbon used in the video. Thank you

[@chemicum]

Try some building supermarkets, look for a water filter.

[@jamesmhaycristerduenas9906]

Thank you for responding. Is it possible to know where can i buy the electrolyte solution Sodium Sulfate, which brand should i look for? @@chemicum

[@kaushikkunte8049]

In the simulation animation shown , Will the adsorbed ions on the surface will change if the given voltage is increased

[@dont.ripfuller6587]

Okay so i need - old screen cutouts- $2 - tic tac box-$.75 - fish filter for carbon -$5 - fully equipt lab-$600k+ Welp. I'm out. Seems they don't sell tictacs around here...😒

[@kaleemullahdurrani5998]

How are using the Coconut Shell...? its some kind of paste or powder mixed in water ?

[@chemicum]

activated carbon was made by heating coconut shells to 900 oC for a few hours.

[@triciachan3211]

Question: How did you make the sodium sulfate solution? What liquid did you add?❤

[@ydnasdcdcfsacds]

Tiny bit of Ethanol and water, you need to lower the viscosity

[@triciachan3211]

Question: How did you make the sodium sulfate solution? What liquid did you add?

[@chemicum]

distilled water

[@bobyk87]

Some fullerene C60 could be helpful for you.

[@ian-lc4ie]

newbie here , if i had a large super capacitor bank that was say for eg 24v in series and provided a large amount of amps say 100a but wanted to regulate the current and voltage down to say12v and lower then current to my consumable load/appliance for what its rated, how would i do that? if i regulated the voltage to 12v but not the current and connected it to a consumable that its limit on the label said 12v 10a would the capacitor bank blow up the "appliance/load" or only draw from the cap bank what it needed? any help would be greatly appreciated to further my understanding.

[@chemicum]

There are mosfets (transistors) that turn the current on and off so quickly that the effective voltage can come down to 12 V.

[@SinsBird]

You don't need to regulate the current if you regulate the voltage. If the voltage is correct for the device that you're trying to power, the device will take whatever current it needs to work, it will only blow up if the voltage is higher than required.

[@jutech2856]

Great Video 👍 How to know the voltage ratings? What happens if you exceed the voltage rating?

[@chemicum]

First you will notice trace current - i.e. at high voltages the charging voltage never drops to zero. Secondly, when voltage is exceeded, gases start forming.

[@jutech2856]

@@chemicum okay👍 thanks for the fast answer.

[@KennethLupango]

are there any alternatives for sodium sulfate as electrolyte? please answer thankyou, it can be good if its accessible

[@chemicum]

potassium sulfate, etc.

[@KavinTeenakul]

Hi, Does NiO or NiO+MnO2 increase capacitance compare to only MnO2?

[@chemicum]

probably. Not tested this composition though

[@triciachan3211]

Is it possible to use this Tictac capacitor to run a small smoke precipitator? If so, how will you connect the two metal mesh at the top of the capacitor to wiring of the electrostatic precipitator?

[@Dc_tech386]

Whats about aluminum for conductivity can’t I use aluminum foil to make it for long term use

[@chemicum]

In organic or ionic liquid electrolyte yes, in aqueous no - it will dissolve eventually

[@Dc_tech386]

@@chemicum so Steeless steel is the better electro right

[@chemicum]

@@Dc_tech386 stainless steel current collector can be used in aqueous solutions

[@Dc_tech386]

I open a super capacitor today and noticed these isn’t any metal for the current collector just black paper it look to be graphene on paper only

[@chemicum]

@@Dc_tech386 bare carbon does not have as high conductivity as metals, thus device without metal current collector can have only low power.

[@SSEF1000]

tic tak super capasitor have not polarity?

[@chemicum]

In the beginning not, you can choose polarity. But later it is advised to write + and - on the capacitor and use those. Gives higher lifetime if + and - are not changed often.

[@simonlinser8286]

i should have finished watching the video before i started making random mesh with carbon cause i missed the part where they had a university laboratory with deposition chambers and inert atmospheres lol...

[@teknosql4740]

Do you making commercial version of SC and battery ?

[@aicirtNahc]

Is it possible to combine and use different activated carbon for this supercapacitor? Ex. Combining activated carbon from coconut husk and activated carbon from cigarette butts

[@chemicum]

sure, but it is wise first to test the carbons separately.

[@BjornMoren]

Great video, very interesting. What is the lifetime of the home made super capacitor? How many charge/discharge cycles have you tested? I'm trying to get in touch with people who are building their own super capacitors, to learn what methods work the best. Do you know if there is a forum somewhere I can join?

[@chemicum]

The Na2SO4 superacapacitor is 8 years old, still works. I have't tested more that a few hundred cycles though, it would need special equipment. I have one older video "Tic-Tac supercapacitor" - there are many comments (some commenters tried making it) and some links to sites where it has been discussed.

[@BjornMoren]

@@chemicum Thanks for your reply. I watched the older video, also very interesting. Great that you made these. But I didn't find any links to discussion sites, do you remember which sites? I'm thinking of trying aluminum foil as current collector, activated carbon as anode/cathode, Na2SO4 as electrolyte and polypropylene felt as separator. If I understand correctly, activated carbon is only used because it is inert and has a huge surface area? So in theory if I skip the carbon it will still be a super capacitor, but a fraction of the capacitance? Just trying to understand the physics. Also, most people use glue to secure the carbon to the current collector. But can we skip the glue if the capacitor is held together with a force that pushes the carbon into the collector? Wouldn't skipping the glue make it even higher capacitance, because more carbon would be available to charge? Then you could use really fine powdered carbon, and make the layers extremely thin. Probably a lot lower internal resistance. Or am I missing something?

[@chemicum]

@@BjornMoren With aluminum in aqueous solution it will be nonchargeable aluminum battery - see my aluminum-air battery video. Carbon has high surface area, metals don't - will oxidize or nanostructures will melt. Using pressure instead of glue may work.

[@BjornMoren]

​@@chemicum Just want to make sure I understand you: Is it true that metals can in principle be used as electrodes, to get a rechargeable supercapacitor, but in practice they don't work well because they oxidize and they have a very small surface area. Correct? If this is not correct, then I don't understand why not, because metals also have the double layer effect (Helmholtz planes), just like activated carbon has. It is also hard for me to understand how the double layer effect prevents the capacitor from immediately self discharging through the ionic solution. Do you know the explanation for that?

[@chemicum]

@@BjornMoren It is correct, metal nanolayers do not exist, but carbon nanolayers or graphene is known. Some metals like gold does not oxidize, but small metal structures have lower melting point that that of the bulk metal and are thus not stable. The self-discharging takes place, this is why supercapacitors self-discharge much faster than batteries. But the diffusion from the electrodes takes time and thus it is not instantaneous, it takes days or weeks to discharge.

[@aicirtNahc]

How did you make the sodium sulfate solution? Please give me the exact measurements needed

[@aicirtNahc]

How much sodium sulfate and water did you add to make it?

[@aicirtNahc]

How many mL of sodium sulfate solution is inserted in every cell?

[@aicirtNahc]

Consider that we will use a deck of cards containers rather than tictac, how much Sodium sulfate did you mix with water and how much water?

[@aicirtNahc]

Also, how many mL of sodium sulfate solution to be inserted in every cell? Please help we really need this

[@qnedim3200]

To prepare 1M Na2SO4 solution, weigh 28.4 g of Na2SO4 and add it to a 250 ml volumetric flask. Then, pure water is added and the volume is completed to 250 ml. This process must be thoroughly mixed so that the solution is completely homogeneous. Please be careful because Na2SO4 can be irritating to skin and eyes. Always take appropriate safety precautions. ( Bing chat said )

[@gnngnn5647]

Have you tried magnesium sulfate as an electrolyte?

[@chemicum]

I have, not better than sodium sulfate

[@gnngnn5647]

@@chemicum in what ratio to add sodium sulfate to get the best result?

[@chemicum]

@@gnngnn5647 It does not dissolve much, 1 molar solution is optimal

[@sushibushimabushi]

@@chemicum Have you tried potassium ferrocyanide in supercapacitor ?

[@chemicum]

@@sushibushimabushi No, but it would be a psoudocapacitor

[@isminivermekistemeyenmahmut]

Im gonna make it but first i need a 20 ton hydraulic press is there anyone who has 20 ton hydraulic press in their home that i can borrow for few days?

[@eeaneymanoj7746]

How much for a 1500 f supercapacitor

[@triciachan3211]

If you are going to utilize this tictac box as capacitor, how will you make the output wiring?

[@triciachan3211]

Is it the same process as how you did with the input wiring? ( metal mesh)

[@chemicum]

wires through plastic and glue the holes

[@triciachan3211]

@@chemicum will it be possible to use alligator clips with wires through the mesh?

[@chemicum]

@@triciachan3211 the alligator clips can be used only outside the cell.

[@milansalunke2191]

Epoxy glue name please??

[@chemicum]

there are hundreds of names, just pick the one that your local shop sells

[@amrisuprayogi6673]

bagi dong electrolitnya

[@jutech2856]

Hi, I seriously need help! Mabye anyone who did something with Supercaps can help. I have been working on Supercapacitors for 6 weeks now, with no sucess. I made Supercaps with aluminium Foil sheets coated with activated carbon, Kitchen Tissue Paper as the Separator and Sodium Sulfate solution as the Electrolyte. Problem: the "Supercap" had a Capacity of less than 1mF and discharged itself from 1.5V to 0.2 V in a few seconds, without a load connected!!! What did I do wrong?? I need Help very soon, so pls don't hesitate to help, even if you have only a little hint. And be aware, my English is bot very well. Thanks a lot !!!🙃🙃

[@RandomPerson-gy3ql]

My favorite moment: 4:52

[@GS-hg9cl]

What? Was hat sie gesagt?

[@kevinroberts781]

That was a battery they made

[@venus007e6]

"only" 800 amps

[@triciachan3211]

Question: How did you make the sodium sulfate solution? What liquid did you add?

[@triciachan3211]

Is it possible to use this Tictac capacitor to run a small smoke precipitator? If so, how will you connect the two metal mesh at the top of the capacitor to wiring of the electrostatic precipitator?

[@chemicum]

Depends how much power and voltage the smoke precipitator needs? Single Tic-Tac supercapacitor cell output a few Watts and around 1 V.

[@triciachan3211]

@@chemicum if I utilize a Bigger size of this Tictac capacitor will it be possible to Run?

[@chemicum]

@@triciachan3211 Bigger capacitor provides more ampers, but same voltage

[@triciachan3211]

@@chemicum how are we going to increase the voltage then

[@triciachan3211]

Hello, I messaged you privately on facebook, please respond

[@andeasdonovan9691]

😅😂they are just making an lead acid battery not superi capactior 😂😂

[@chemicum]

it would require lead and acid so that is not the case here.

[@aicirtNahc]

What liquid did you add in the metal mesh before you put the activated carbon?

[@chemicum]

glue

[@darkscorp4415]

Сool!