Researchers from the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at LiU have developed a fuel cell that uses lignin, a cheap by-product from paper manufacture and one of the most common biopolymers
Approximately 25% of a tree is lignin – a biopolymer that glues the cellulose fibres together to form strong and durable wood. During the chemical manufacture of paper pulp this lignin is dissolved in either the sulphate or sulphite process, since the cellulose is the desired component for making paper.
Lignin is cheap and readily available. It is a biopolymer that consists of a large number of hydrocarbon chains woven together, which can be broken down in an industrial process to its energy-rich constituent parts, benzenediols. One of these, catechol makes up 7% of lignin. Researchers at the Organic Energy Materials group at LiU, led by Professor Xavier Crispin, have discovered that this type of molecule is an excellent fuel for use in fuel cells.
Benzenediols
The fuel most often used in tradition fuel cells is hydrogen gas, which reacts with oxygen from the air. The chemical energy is converted in the fuel cell to electricity, water and heat. However, 96% of the hydrogen produced worldwide is from non-sustainable sources, and is accompanied by carbon dioxide emission.
Other fuels used in fuel cells are ethanol and methanol, but these produce also carbon dioxide as a by-product. The electrodes necessary to attract the fleeing electrons are usually made from platinum, which is both expensive and scarce.
Benzenediols, however, are aromatic molecules, and metal electrodes cannot be used in fuel cells based on benzenediols since the reactions are slightly more complex. The researchers instead use electrodes made from the popular conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS. This polymer has the interesting property of conducting electricity, while at the same time having a surplus of protons. This means that it functions as both electrode and proton conductor.
“PEDOT:PSS is a perfect catalyst for the reaction with a benzenediol such as catechol,” says Xavier Crispin
Super green fuel
The chemical energy of the fuel is converted to electricity without carbon dioxide being formed.
“When a fuel such as ethanol is used in a fuel cell, people usually claim that it has zero impact on the climate, since the carbon dioxide is a component of a circulation. This means that ethanol is considered to be a green fuel. We can now manufacture electricity without any emission of carbon dioxide at all, which makes our fuel supergreen. The technology also both cheap and scalable,” says Xavier Crispin.
Only a few research groups have investigated PEDOT:PSS as a possible material for both electrodes and catalyst.
“There is a fundamental lack of knowledge about PEDOT:PSS within electrochemistry,” concludes Xavier Crispin, as he proudly introduces doctoral student Canyan Che and principal research engineer Mikhail Vagin, who make up the group that has worked with the fuel cell.
The researchers have calculated that the amount of electricity produced by the new fuel cell is approximately the same as the current ethanol-based and methanol-based fuel cells.
First in the world
“An efficient method to produce catechol from lignin is already available, and we are first in the world to demonstrate a fuel cell that uses fuel from this forestry raw material,” concludes Xavier Crispin.
It remains to improve and optimise the function.
Learn more: Lignin – a super green fuel for fuel cells
The Latest on: Fuel cell
[google_news title=”” keyword=”fuel cell” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Fuel cell
- Surging Demand for Reactive Diluents Sparks Innovation Across Adhesive, Sealant, and Coating Sectorson May 9, 2024 at 8:27 am
Future Market Insights’ recent report on the reactive diluents market concludes that the market will cross the billion-dollar threshold in the next two years. Primarily used as viscosity regulators ...
- The best epoxy garage floor coating kits of 2024on May 9, 2024 at 6:45 am
If you have a garage, you should consider applying an epoxy coating to the garage floor for some added protection and a good-looking finish. Epoxy coatings will give your floor a glossy look that ...
- Seven students received aerospace coating certificationon May 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The seven newly-trained students are part of the CV-TEC Automotive Collision Repair Technology program, and they received their Federal Aviation Administration approved Aerospace Coating Applicator ...
- Instead of getting thinner, the upgrade iPads need is better oleophobic coatingon May 8, 2024 at 3:32 pm
And no, this is not going to be a rand about how we need bigger batteries in our iPads — I think the 8-10 hours of use I get from it on a single charge is pretty fair. The new iPad Pro M4 models that ...
- Finnlines rolls out fuel and emissions reducing hull coatingon May 8, 2024 at 9:41 am
Finnlines is to roll out a graphene-based hard foul release hull coating across its ro-ro and ro-pax fleets following a seven per cent reduction in fuel consumption and emissions on four of its ...
- Ice Cream Coating Market: Projected to Surge to a Market Worth of US$ 4,819.0 Million by 2033 – A Thorough Examination of Industry Evolutionon May 8, 2024 at 8:03 am
Ice cream Coating Market is set to hit US$ 4,819 Million at CAGR of 3.3% during forecast period of 2023 to 2033 ...
- $14.36 Billion Corrosion Protection Coating Markets - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2019-2023 & 2024-2029Fon May 8, 2024 at 4:17 am
The "Corrosion Protection Coating Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2019-2029F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.Global Corrosion ...
- Hull coating helps ferry firm decarboniseon May 8, 2024 at 3:16 am
Finnlines adopts graphene-based hard foul release hull coating across its RoRo and RoPax fleets to reduce fuel consumption and emissions ...
- Water Based Coating Market Demand: Understanding Consumer Behavior and Preferenceson May 8, 2024 at 1:19 am
Report Ocean published the latest research report on the Water Based Coating market. In order to comprehend a market holistically, a variety of factors must be evaluated, including demographics, ...
via Bing News