Utilization of biomass wastes: Coconut and Pangium edule shells as activated carbon for energy storage device material

In this research, activated carbon (AC) was synthesized from biomass wastes of coconut and Pangium edule shells and utilized as a material for electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLC), which are eco-friendly energy storage devices. This research was intended to bridge the need for greenhouse gas-free energy storage device and the handling of abundant biomass wastes. These efforts would undoubtedly contribute to mitigating climate change. To begin the research, the coconut and Pangium edule shells underwent carbonization at varying temperatures of 600°C and 700°C for 2 hours. Subsequently, they were subjected to chemical activation using KOH and physical activation at varying temperatures of 110°C and 600°C. Some characterization techniques, including SEM, XRD, TGA/DSC, BET, Iodine number, and proximate analysis, were employed to analyze the materials. The capacitive properties of EDLC electrodes were assessed through cyclic voltammetry (CV). After carbonization at 700°C and subsequent physical activation at 600°C, the coconut and Pangium edule shells exhibited the highest active surface area of 548.542 m2g-1 and 333.4 m2g-1, respectively. Notably, the EDLC demonstrated a maximum specific capacitance of 364.5 Fg-1 at 2 mVs-1 scan rate. These findings indicate the viability of utilizing AC from biomass waste as a promising material for EDLC applications.