New technology turns plastic bottles into supercapacitor material

Scientists from the University of California at Riverside have found a way to "kill two birds with one stone," deciding the problem of recycling plastic bottles and finding a way to obtain materials for supercapacitors the future.

They proposed a nanomaterial made from recycled plastic waste.

Such a breakthrough became possible thanks to the many years of work of the engineering team, which all this time is headed by Ch. Sign from the UCR. Under his leadership, many years of research into nanomaterials potentially useful for supercapacitors began to bear fruit.

How the new nanomaterial was obtained

In order to obtain a new material, polyethylene terephthalate plastic (a regular plastic bottle) was taken and dissolved in a solvent.

Then, using a method known as electrospinning, microscopic fibers were obtained from the mass.

They were then converted to carbon by baking them in an oven.

The resulting fibers were then mixed with a binder and a conductive agent before being incorporated into a double layer capacitor as a flat element.

The electrode obtained in this way has undergone laboratory tests and has shown itself to be a fully operational component of a supercapacitor.

Prospects of invention

Supercapacitors are very promising elements that have great potential for modernization and widespread use. Yes, they have a significant drawback - fast discharge. But there is also a huge advantage - fast charge.

Therefore, they (supercapacitors) are increasingly being introduced into industry, and the use of new materials in their production is an excellent help in this regard.

In fact, this development could have a significant impact on the entire battery industry. Indeed, at the moment, the issue of recycling plastic waste is very acute, and the consumption of batteries is increasing all over the world.

So the possibility of using recyclable materials in new batteries can have a beneficial effect on the environment as a whole and the cost of new batteries.

Well, let's wait for the full use of the technology for commercial purposes. Thank you for reading to the end.