Investigations of electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLC) materials - a comparison of test methods

A comparison between various methods for determining the capacitance and resistance of electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLC) with cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), galvanostatic charge-discharge methods and cell voltage jump experiments are presented. Therefore, a commercially available electrochemical double layer capacitor was used. For the validation of the screw cell measurements the electrode foils were isolated and extracted from the commercial capacitor. The results support the adequacy of the screw cell tests for electrode materials on a laboratory scale. The comparison of methods shows in part strong differences. The reasons will therefore be discussed. Consequently, the determination of specific values requires methods which respect the influence of the actual tests or measurement frequency and exhibit the importance of an internationally accepted specification for electrochemical double layer capacitors material investigation.