On the Fabrication Processes of Structural Supercapacitors by Resin Transfer Molding and Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding

Abstract

This study investigated the manufacturing processes for structural supercapacitors (SSCs) using smear molding (RS), resin transfer molding (RTM), and vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). Woven carbon fibers were used as the electrode, woven glass fibers as an insulating layer, and an alkaline/epoxy compound as the electrolyte. In the RTM process, due to the vacuum and the high-pressure injection of the electrolyte, the electrochemical and mechanical properties of the SSC can be greatly improved, and the void contents in the SSC can be reduced. The balanced electrochemical performance and mechanical properties of SSCs were observed in the range of epoxy content from 15 wt% to 30 wt%. This study contributes to the development of SSCs through the establishment of the fabrication process for improvements in part quality. The fabrication method demonstrated here can be directly applied by industries to produce even larger-scale SSCs, opening up new possibilities for practical implementation and scalability.