This review presents a summary of the manufacturing of activated carbons (ACs) as electrode materials for electric double layer capacitors. Commonly used techniques of open and closed porosity determination (gas adsorption, immersion calorimetry, X-ray and neutrons scattering) were briefly described. AC production methods (laboratory and industrial) were detailed presented with the stress on advantages and drawbacks of each ones in the field of electrode materials of supercapacitor. We discussed all general parameters of the activation process and their influence on the production efficiency and the porous structure of ACs. We showed that porosity development of ACs is not the only factor influencing capacity properties. The role of pore size distribution, raw material origin, final carbon structure ordering, particles morphology and purity must be also taken into account. The impact of surface chemistry of AC was considered not only in the context of pseudocapacity but also other important factors, such as inter-particle conductivity, maximal operating voltage window and long-term stability.

A series of anodes for Li-ion battery was prepared by conventional homogenization of active material, percolator, and Na-CMC or several kinds of PVDF as a binder. Si/C composite was synthesized by embedding micro-sized silicon and synthetic battery-grade graphite in a pitch-derived carbon matrix and taken as active material. Adhesion strength of anodic film to a current collector was determined by peeling test. Thermal relaxation (120-180 °C) after calendering of PVDF-based anode slightly increases the adhesion of the film to the collector. The highest peeling strength was recorded for ultrahigh molecular weight PVDF (~0.05 N cm⁻¹) but without advantage for cycling stability of the cell. An initial reversible capacity of 512 mAh g⁻¹, with average capacity decay only of 0.5% per cycle, was achieved for CMC-based anode of moderate peeling strength (~0.035 N cm⁻¹). Such good performance was attributed to a specific Si/C composite structure as well as profitable physicochemical properties of the binder.

The article presents the results of the preliminary experimental research and analysis of the structure of samples of clay solid bricks from six historical buildings erected in Poland in the years 1300 to 1910. Images obtained with a scanning electron microscope; parameters characterizing the pore space of the ceramic material, which were obtained using mercury porosimetry; and chemical composition identified using an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, were analyzed. The test results showed that as the age of the brick increases, the homogeneity of its structure decreases, the chemical composition of all samples is quite similar, and in the tested samples, large disproportions in the percentage of pore width in individual ranges can be observed. An indicator P-index useful in comparing the studied structures was proposed, based on the knowledge of the share of the pores’ width within the adopted ranges.