Physiochemical and Electrochemical Properties of a Heat-Treated Electrode for All-Iron Redox Flow Batteries

Iron redox flow batteries (IRFBs) are cost-efficient RFBs that have the potential to develop low-cost grid energy storage. Electrode kinetics are pivotal in defining the cycle life and energy efficiency of the battery. In this study, graphite felt (GF) is heat-treated at 400, 500 and 600 °C, and its physicochemical and electrochemical properties are studied using XPS, FESEM, Raman and cyclic voltammetry. Surface morphology and structural changes suggest that GF heat-treated at 500 °C for 6 h exhibits acceptable thermal stability while accessing the benefits of heat treatment. Specific capacitance was calculated for assessing the wettability and electrochemical properties of pristine and treated electrodes. The 600 °C GF has the highest specific capacitance of 34.8 Fg−1 at 100 mV s−1, but the 500 °C GF showed the best battery performance. The good battery performance of the 500 °C GF is attributed to the presence of oxygen functionalities and the absence of thermal degradation during heat treatment. The battery consisting of 500 °C GF electrodes offered the highest voltage efficiency of ~74%, Coulombic efficiency of ~94%, and energy efficiency of ~70% at 20 mA cm−2. Energy efficiency increased by 7% in a battery consisting of heat-treated GF in comparison to pristine GF. The battery is capable of operating for 100 charge–discharge cycles with an average energy efficiency of ~ 67% for over 100 cycles.