NICOP - Development of Green Electrochemical Capacitor Based on Sustainable Carbon Source from Pineapple Leaves
Abstract
Abstract The goal of this proposal is to develop electrochemical capacitor, which is one of the most promising electrical storage systems necessary for clean energy infrastructure and on-board power devices for transportation. The uniqueness of the proposed device lies in the active material that is central in our study Ð high quality carbonaceous material from pineapple leaf fiber. The use of pineapple leaf fiber gives three major advantages compared with other natural resources: (1) the pineapple leaf fiber has high strength and can be conveniently extracted from the agricultural waste, and its cross section is small enough for the production of high surface area structure; (2) the pineapple leaves in Thailand are abundantly available as waste products from agriculture, making them a sustainable resource for any large-scale production of carbon-based electrical storage devices; and (3) by turning agricultural waste into clean energy technology, an economic benefit can be gained in the form of monetary value of the devices, as well as from the creation of many new jobs in the area. In other words, the proposed energy storage device could have impacts on both the energy issue and the socio-economic realm of the region. The project is, therefore, in line with the ONR Power and Energy Focus Area and is relevant to other renewable energy projects supported by ONR Code 33 in Southeast Asia. In addition, a new electrochemical capacitor can be used to fulfill the electrical energy requirements needed for future missions of the Navy and Marine Corps. The development of the first electrochemical capacitor based on pineapple leaf fiber can be realized in three stages. The first stage is the optimization of the preparation of fibers that are suitable for use as carbon precursors. Once this preparation method is optimized, the carbonization process needs to be studied in order to prepare high content of good quality carbon. The content of hemicellulose and lignin within the carbon sample from pineapple leaf fiber will also be varied using the hydrothermal technique. The last part of the project will be focused on the fabrication of the electrochemical capacitor electrodes using carbon prepared from the previous steps. If recyclability and/or efficiency become an issue at this phase of development, we plan to fine-tune the chemical composition of the carbon material, particularly the functional groups at the surface of the carbon.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 22, 2016
- Source ID
- N629091512012
Entities
People
- Pasit Pakawatpanurut
Organizations
- Mahidol University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy