Fabrication and Characterization of Environmentally Friendly Biochar Anode

Ieva Kiminaitė, Aurimas Lisauskas, Nerijus Striūgas and Žilvinas Kryževičius
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Ieva Kiminaitė: Laboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos St. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Aurimas Lisauskas: Laboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos St. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Nerijus Striūgas: Laboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos St. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, Lithuania
Žilvinas Kryževičius: Vezaiciai Branch, Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Agriculture, LT-96216 Vezaiciai, Lithuania

Energies, 2021, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Electrical power generation by means of electrochemical systems utilizing wastewaters is a global energy challenge tackling technique for which a creation of novel eco-friendly electrode materials is in high relevance. For this purpose a Rhodophyta algae derived activated biochar anode bound with a flaxseeds mucilage binder (5, 10, 20, 30 wt.%) was formed and characterized by thermogravimetric, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis as well as conductivity and mechanical resistance determination. Activation technique with KOH prior to carbonization at 800 °C of algae was employed to obtain biocarbon with a large surface area. The highest specific surface area of 1298.49 m 2 /g was obtained with the binder-free sample and had a tendency to decrease with the increase of the binder content. It was estimated that biochar anodes are thermally stable at the temperature of up to 200 °C regardless of binder concentration. The concentration of the binder on the other hand had a significant influence in anodes mechanical resistance and electrical conductance: anode with 30 wt.% of the binder had the highest compressive strength equal to 104 bar; however, the highest conductivity was estimated in anode with 5 wt.% of the binder equal to 58 S/m. It is concluded that anode with 10 wt.% mucilage binder has the optimal properties necessary in MFC utilization.

Keywords: microbial fuel cells; activated biochar; biochar anode; environmentally friendly binder (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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