Investigation on the Potential of Various Biomass Waste for the Synthesis of Carbon Material for Energy Storage Application

Abstract

The metal–air battery (MAB) has been a promising technology to store energy, with its outstanding energy density, as well as safety features. Yet, the current material used as air cathode is costly and not easily available. This study investigated a few biomass wastes with good potential, including the oil palm empty fruit bunch and garlic peel, as well as the oil palm frond, to determine a sufficiently environmentally-safe, yet efficient, precursor to produce carbon material as an electro-catalyst for MAB. The precursors were carbonized at different temperatures (450, 600, and 700 °C) and time (30, 45, and 60 min) followed by chemical (KOH) activation to synthesize the carbon material. The synthesized materials were subsequently studied through chemical, as well as physical characterization. It was found that PF presented superior tunability that can improve electrical conductivity, due to its ability to produce amorphous carbon particles with a smaller size, consisting of hierarchical porous structure, along with a higher specific surface area of up to 777.62 m2g−1, when carbonized at 600 °C for 60 min. This paper identified that PF has the potential as a sustainable and cost-efficient alternative to carbon nanotube (CNT) as an electro-catalyst for energy storage application, such as MAB.

Soft Actuator with Biomass Porous Electrode: A Strategy for Lowering Voltage and Enhancing Durability

“…Hence, it is necessary to develop cost-effective electrode materials. Biomass porous carbon is an environmentally friendly carbon material obtained from the carbonization of biomass waste. , Its low cost and renewable characteristics make it stand out among many carbon-based nanomaterials, which can help reduce the consumption of fossil reserves and promote the sustainable development of society. More importantly, it has a special and natural nanoporous structure, high specific surface area, and good electrical conductivity, which made BPC coincide with the demand for the electrode of an IPMC actuator. ,− …”