Modeling of the effect of surfactant addition on electrolyte degradation in supercapacitors

This study describes for the first time the degradation of an organic electrolyte used in an activated carbon-based supercapacitor both with and without the presence of a surfactant. Decomposition reaction, which is considered as the major aging reaction of the supercapacitor, was studied by simulation by using a multiphysics finite element program. The obtained results clearly showed for both cases (presence and absence of surfactant) the production of a gas resulting from the electrolyte decomposition reaction, but with a higher rate without surfactant. In addition, the evolution of the concentration of the products of the degradation reaction with time appears to be less significant in the presence of surfactant than in the absence, indicating a significant effect of this element on reducing the aging time.