The discovery opens up the possibilities to use carbon in more powerful batteries, driving down the costs of portable power. Lithium ion batteries power many devices, from smartphones and digital cameras all the way up to cars and even aircraft. The batteries work by having 2 electrically charged materials suspended in a liquid to produce a current. Carbon is used as one of those materials in smaller batteries, but for bigger, more powerful batteries – such as those used in electric cars – carbon is not suitable because of its structure, which cannot produce the required current density.
Collecting candle soot from the (a) tip of the flame and (b) middle of the flame. SS current collector (c) before and (d) after deposition of carbon soot.
Dr. Chandra Sharma and Dr. Manohar Kakunuri found that because of the shape and configuration of the tiny carbon nanoparticles, the carbon in candle soot is suitable for use in bigger batteries. What’s more, because the soot could be produced quickly and easily, it is a scalable approach to making batteries.
Collecting candle soot from the (a) tip of the flame and (b) middle of the flame. SS current collector (c) before and (d) after deposition of carbon soot.
They looked at the soot collected from the tip of a candle flame and from the middle of the flame and compared the size, shape and structure of the carbon. The results showed that the burning process forms nanoparticles of carbon that are 30-40 nanometers across and are joined together in an interconnected network. They also found soot from the tip of a candle flame, which burns at 1400ËšC, has fewer impurities like wax, so it performs better as an electrical conductor.
They then analyzed the effectiveness of the soot as a conducting material to use in a battery. The effectiveness of batteries and materials used in batteries can be tested through cyclic charge-discharge (CCD). The rate of charge/discharge reflects how powerful the battery is; the higher the rate, the more powerful the battery; the results showed that the candle soot carbon performed best at higher rates.
The shape and size of the carbon nanoparticles, and the way they are joined together, means candle soot is a suitable material to use in electric car batteries. Not only is the technology efficient and cost-effective, it is also scalable. 1 hybrid car would need 10 kg of carbon soot, which would be deposited in about an hour using candles.
The researchers now plan to develop a candle soot battery to test the technology further. They are also planning to test hybrid materials that contain candle soot to see if they can make it an even better material for batteries.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013468615303728
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=157118&CultureCode=en
SAXS scattering pattern for the candle soot derived carbon nanoparticles collected from the tip of the flame. Inset image shows particle size distribution.
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