Effect of Moulding Techniques on Electro-adsorption Desalination of Carbon Nanotube Electrodes

The carbon nanotube electrodes with different kinds and quantities of binders, using methods such as press molding at room-temperature and hot-press molding combined with carbonization, were moulded. The charge-discharge tests of the electrodes were performed in saltwater by the DC-5 battery testing instrument, and the specific electro-adsorption capacitance and equivalent resistance were compared. The results are as follows: the electrodes can be molded at room-temperature with 10% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or 15% polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and at high temperature with 20% phenolic resin (PR), and the specific electro-adsorption capacitance decreases and the equivalent resistance increases with the increasing content of the binders. The surface structure, morphology, specific electro-adsorption capacitance, equivalent resistance and hydrophilicity of the electrodes were investigated, and the electro-adsorption desalination performances were compared. The results show that the electrode hot-pressed with 20% PR, after carbonization, with high specific surface area, many pores, good hydrophilicity, high specific electro-adsorption capacitance and low equivalent resistance, has the best electro-adsorption desalination performance.