Utilization of hydrochar produced from hydrothermal carbonization of faecal sludge for use as an anode in lithium-ion battery | |
| Author | Sopida Khamyai |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-16-20 |
| Subject(s) | Carbonization Sewage sludge Biomass energy |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. EV-16-20 |
| Abstract | The Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of faecal sludge (FS) has been applied for overcoming faecal sludge management problems, which could convert to a product as called hydrochar. The hydrochar is one of promising applications in the field of energy storage. The hydrochar could be further processed to make it suitable for use as anode in Li-ion battery by high-temperature carbonization and alloying metallic materials. This study was to improve suitable hydrochar for use as an anode in Li-ion battery by high-temperature carbonization and hydrochar/NiO composite synthesis. The substrates such as FS, glucose and rice husk (RH) were used as feedstock to produce hydrochar with relatively high fixed carbon content. Various temperatures and reaction time operations for high-temperature carbonization were 300-1000 ̊C and 1-60 min, respectively. Meanwhile, the mixing ratio of hydrochar and nickel (II) acetate was 1:1 to synthesize hydrochar/NiO composite. The experimental results indicated that HTC hydrochar and high-temp hydrochar of glucose contained highest fixed carbon content of 47.6± 0.4and 84.9 ± 1.1%wt., respectively, followed by RH, mixture of FS and RH, and FS.NiO compound can be formed by the hydrochar/NiO composite synthesis technique as observed by SEM-EDS. Optimal conditions of high-temperature carbonization were temperature of 1000 ̊C and reaction time of 10 min. The anode cell produced from high-temp hydrochar of glucose provided highest stable reversible capacity of 135 mAh/g while anode cell produced from high-temp hydrochar of FS exhibited stable reversible capacity of 64 mAh/g. The high-temperature carbonization technique provided greater reversible capacity than hydrochar/NiO composite synthesis technique, and it also was lower operation cost than the NiO composite technique. The anode cell produced from high-temp hydrochar exhibited stable reversible capacity up to 400 cycles of charge/discharge cycling so that the life cycle of the anode cell would be up 400 cycles or more. Efforts in increasing reversible capacity were to improve amorphous structure of carbon in the anode cell to be crystalline carbon, by raising carbonization temperature to more than 1000 ̊C and operation with longer reaction time. The crystalline carbon can trap a lot of lithium than amorphous carbon. Increasing active carbon can also provide higher reversible capacity, reducing ash content in the initial substrate before hydrochar-anode production may increase active carbon in the hydrochar-anode products. |
| Year | 2016 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Thammarat Koottatep; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Chongrak Polprasert;Shipin, Oleg V.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government;Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2016 |