Abstract
Porous carbons prepared by carbonization of solid leather wastes were employed for supercapacitor applications using KOH electrolyte. Advanced instrumentation techniques were used to determine the physicochemical properties of the porous carbon samples. Three-electrode configuration was used to investigate the electrochemical properties of porous carbon electrodes through cyclic voltammetry studies, galvanostatic charge–discharge tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Porous carbons exhibit high specific surface areas in a range of 613–716 m2 g−1, as well as superior energy storage capacity as electrodes for supercapacitors. Porous carbon electrodes activated at 900 °C exhibited specific capacitance up to 1800 F/g in alkali medium. All the solid leather waste carbons established stable cycle performance over 5000 cycles. These desirable capacitive performances enable solid leather waste-derived carbons as a source of new materials for low-cost energy storage devices as well as supercapacitors. This paper put forwards a new concept of ‘waste to value-added products’ that can be a helping hand for leather industries and its solid waste management disposal problems. The highlights of this research work suggest that leather industries could implement and make it feasible for commercialization.
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Abbreviations
- AgCl:
-
Silver chloride
- BET:
-
Brunauer–Emmett–Teller
- BJH:
-
Barrett–Joyner– Halenda
- C6:
-
Porous carbon activated at 600 °C
- C7:
-
Porous carbon activated at 700 °C
- C8:
-
Porous carbon activated at 800 °C
- C9:
-
Porous carbon activated at 900 °C
- CP:
-
Precarbonized carbon prepared from solid leather waste
- Cu:
-
Copper
- CV:
-
Cyclic voltammetry
- EIS:
-
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
- GCD:
-
Galvanostatic charge–discharge
- H2SO4 :
-
Sulfuric acid
- H3PO4 :
-
Phosphoric acid
- HCl:
-
Hydrochloric acid
- HK:
-
Horvath–Kawazoe
- HR-TEM:
-
High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
- K :
-
Potassium
- K2SO4 :
-
Potassium sulfate
- KOH:
-
Potassium hydroxide
- OH:
-
Hydroxide
- pH:
-
Power of hydrogen
- PPI:
-
Pores per inch
- SAED:
-
Selected area electron diffraction pattern
- SEM:
-
Scanning electron microscopy
- XRD:
-
X-ray diffraction
- Ag:
-
Silver
- C:
-
Capacitance in Farad per grams
- Cr:
-
Chromium
- d :
-
Spacing of lattice planes
- ESR:
-
Equivalent series resistance
- f :
-
Frequency
- Hz:
-
Hertz
- I :
-
Current in amperes
- Kα :
-
K-alpha radiation
- m :
-
Mass in grams
- °C:
-
Temperature in degree celsius
- R :
-
Resistance in ohms
- t :
-
Time in seconds
- v :
-
Scan rate in volt per seconds
- V :
-
Voltage in volts
- V − V 0 :
-
Potential window
- W :
-
Warburg impendence in ohms
- Z :
-
Impedance
- ∆:
-
Difference operator
- θ :
-
Angle in degrees
- λ :
-
Wavelength
- Ώ:
-
Ohms unit of resistance
- −:
-
Negative ions
- +:
-
Positive ions
- °:
-
Degree
- ct:
-
Charge transfer resistance
- im:
-
Imaginary part of impedance
- k :
-
Knee frequency
- re :
-
Real part of impedance
- s :
-
Solution resistance
- sp:
-
Specific capacitance
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Acknowledgments
The authors express thanks to authorities and staff of Sri Chamundi Leathers, Kolappakkam, Chennai, for their valuable help. The first author authentically thanks the VIT University Chennai management for granting the Teaching Research Associateship for carrying out the research work.
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Konikkara, N., Punithavelan, N., Kennedy, L.J. et al. A new approach to solid waste management: fabrication of supercapacitor electrodes from solid leather wastes using aqueous KOH electrolyte. Clean Techn Environ Policy 19, 1087–1098 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1301-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1301-1