During the project, we developed a simple and green approach to produce conductive 3D porous structures with high surface area and excellent bulk conductivity.<br/>Lignin is the third most abundant natural polymer, next to cellulose and chitin, and ranks as one of the most abundant phenolic natural polymers. Lignin is usually obtained as a byproduct of the chemical pulping and biofuel production. With only a small fraction being burned as low-valued fuel, lignin represents a significantly under-utilized biomass.<br/>3D porous carbon structures based on nanocellulose and lignin were manufactured during the project using wet spinning and electrospinning techniques. Different forms of lignin were used to determine the carbon yield of each form. Different carbonization and activation (KOH and NaOH) procedures were explored in order to maximize the electrochemical properties. Different ratios of lignin and crosslinking agent, alginic acid, were tested to examine the crosslinking capability of the agent for the wet spun fibers. Finally, we characterized the chemical and mechanical structure of the carbon fibers, in addition to the electrical conductivity, wettability, and microstructure.

Development of supercapacitors using renewable carbon fiber

2019 Spring National Meeting

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