Scientists from Norway, Singapore and India examine tamarind shells as loading infrastructure
A team of scientists from Norway, Singapore and India have found a way to convert tamarind shells into carbon nanoshells, a key part of supercapacitors potentially capable of playing a larger role in energy storage, as vehicles new generation electrics and charging infrastructure.
The team whose study was recently published in the scientific journal Chemosphere believes that tamarind shell nanosheets, when scaled up, could be an environmentally friendly alternative to their industrially produced counterparts, while reducing waste.
Tamarind is a tropical fruit consumed all over the world. Bulky shells are rich in carbon and porous in nature, making them an ideal material for making carbon nanosheets.
The team consisted of researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and Alagappa University in India. Assistant Professor (Steve) Cuong Dang of NTU’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who led the study, said, “We found that the performance of our nanosheets derived from the tamarind shell was comparable to that of of their industrially manufactured counterparts in terms of porous structure and properties. The nanosheet manufacturing process is also the standard method for producing activated carbon nanosheets.
The study also showed that tamarind nanosheets have good thermal stability and good electrical conductivity, making them promising options for energy storage.
Currently, the team is working to make the production process more environmentally friendly by reducing the energy required while seeking to improve the electrochemical properties of nanosheets. The researchers hope to be able to explore large-scale production of nanosheets with agricultural partners and also hope to explore the possibility of using different types of fruit skins or shells to produce carbon nanosheets.
Source: Electrek