Scientists turn plastic waste into super material for batteries

Scientists from Shenyang Agricultural University and affiliated institutions in China have developed a method to convert plastic waste into high-performance carbon materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and porous carbon. These materials have significant potential for use in energy storage devices like lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors, offering a way to both reduce plastic pollution and enhance battery performance. A notable technique highlighted is flash Joule heating, which efficiently produces high-quality graphene from plastic waste in milliseconds with very low energy consumption. The research emphasizes the environmental and economic benefits of transforming plastic waste into valuable carbon products, contributing to a circular carbon economy by linking pollution control with renewable energy applications. The porous carbon derived from plastic waste demonstrated energy storage capacities close to theoretical limits for selenium batteries, along with excellent stability. Beyond energy storage, these carbon materials can also aid environmental cleanup by capturing greenhouse gases and removing contaminants from wastewater. However, the team acknowledges technical challenges remain, such as optimizing catalyst design and improving product selectivity, before the technology can be