Graphene atomic construction
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It’s generally identified that lithium-ion (Li-i) batteries will be recycled. However the focus is totally on salvaging nickel, cobalt and manganese. Their poor cousin graphite is usually ignored; it can’t be reused in new Li-i batteries because it loses the construction wanted to perform successfully.
Nonetheless, this ‘spent’ graphite finds use in a unique utility. It will possibly assist lengthen the life of a methanol fuel cell.
Ordinarily, graphite must be ‘exfoliated’ earlier than it may be utilized in a fuel cell. Exfoliation on this context means the breaking down of bulk graphite into a number of layers in order to extend the accessible floor space. Better the floor space, the higher the conductive assist in a cell.
The exfoliation of contemporary graphite consumes important quantities of vitality. A spent Li-i battery, alternatively, offers you ready-made exfoliated graphite after the mechanical stress it has undergone within the battery via repeated use. In different phrases, the very motive graphite is discarded from batteries makes it helpful in fuel cells.
Methanol fuel cells sometimes endure from a ‘leakage’ of methanol, resulting in its interplay with the platinum used within the cell, making the dear metallic much less efficient. Leaking previous the membrane separating the anode and the cathode, methanol oxidises to type carbon monoxide, which ‘poisons’ the costly platinum. This impacts the cell’s effectivity and longevity.
Prof Raman Vedarajan leads a crew engaged on this difficulty on the Superior Analysis Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Supplies (ARCI), underneath the federal government’s Division of Science and Know-how. Says Prof Vedarajan, “In collaboration with the Institute of Minerals and Supplies Know-how, we cleaned the spent graphite of metallic contaminants and utilized it as a ‘scavenger’ within the DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell).”
He explains that the “exfoliated graphite helps seize the permeating methanol earlier than it reaches the platinum catalyst”.
Requested how the new piece of analysis helped save on value and/or effort, he replies, “DMFCs sometimes run for about 15,000 cycles. Utilizing exfoliated graphite will help lengthen the life of those cells to twenty,000 and even 25,000 cycles.”
The analysis has been validated in a lab. In response to Prof Vedarajan, “There may be enough proof that it will probably work, so a prototype is being constructed.” This might assist producers not solely scale back battery waste but in addition handle one other environmental headache — fuel cell inefficiency.
Revealed on Could 18, 2026
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