A Natural waste rubber could become the key to creating a new generation of more long -lived, efficient and sustainable supercapacitors. This was discovered by a team of researchers from Scotland, South Korea and India, which transformed a substance considered useless into a precious ally for the energy of the future.
The protagonist of this research is the Kondagogu rubbera polysaccharide produced by the tree cortex Cochlospermum Gossypiumwidespread in India. Usually this rubber represents a discomfort for local authorities, who struggle to dispose of it. But today, thanks to a study published on Energy Storage Materialsthis waste material turns into a resource with enormous potential.
The researchers combined it withsodium alginaobtaining a spongy and biodegradable biopolymercalled KS. Added to the acid electrolyte of supercapacitors, the KS forms a Protective coating on carbon electrodesslowing down its degradation without hindering the flow of ions, which is essential for the charge and discharge cycle.
THE Supercapacitorioften used in electronic devices, electric networks and electric vehicles, are distinguished from conventional batteries for their ability to upload and download quicklybut suffer from the poor duration over time due to the corrosion of the electrodes. And it is precisely here that the Biopolymer KS makes the difference.
More lasting supercapacitors
Laboratory tests were clear: modified supercapacitors with KS have maintained 93% of their energy capacity even after 30,000 cycles of use. To make a comparison, identical devices but without this protection saw their efficiency descend to 58% in the same time, as explained by the Dr. Jun Young Cheongone of the main authors of the study and researcher at the James Watt School of Engineering of the University of Glasgow.
We took a tire that was difficult to dispose of and transformed it into an ecological and recyclable biopolymer, capable of extending the duration of the supercapackers in a surprising way.
The numbers speak for themselves: if a supercondensor was used once a day, it could last more than 80 years without losing significant performance. A perspective that opens interesting scenarios to reduce theelectronic pollution and the need to dispose of worn components.
This work is part of a broader project carried out by Dr. Cheong, who has long been studying the potential of organic waste to improve batteries and accumulation devices, as in the case of Soluble binders in water used in the graphite anodes of lithium batteries.
South Korean universities have also contributed to the publication such as Ajou University, Chung-anang university And Myongji Universityin addition toAmrita University In India. An important step forward, which once again demonstrates how nature, if listened and respected, knows how to offer unexpected solutions even for the most advanced technologies.
