Upcycling of lignin waste to activated carbon for supercapacitor electrode and organic adsorbent

Youn-Ki Lee; Sangchul Chung; Sang Youp Hwang; Sungho Lee; Kwang Sup Eom; Seung Bin Hong; Gwan Gyu Park; Byung-Joo Kim; Jung-Joon Lee; Han-Ik Joh

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.36, No.9, 1543-1547, September, 2019

DOI10.1007/s11814-019-0340-9 Export Citation

Upcycling of lignin waste to activated carbon for supercapacitor electrode and organic adsorbent

Youn-Ki Lee^{1, 2}, Sangchul Chung³, Sang Youp Hwang⁴, Sungho Lee¹, Kwang Sup Eom², Seung Bin Hong⁵, Gwan Gyu Park⁵, Byung-Joo Kim⁶, Jung-Joon Lee^{3, †}, and Han-Ik Joh^{5, †}

¹Carbon Composite Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), 92 Chudong-ro, Bongdong-eup, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do 55324, Korea
²School of Materials Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 123 Cheomdangwagi-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61005, Korea
³Research and Development Center, GS Caltex Corporation, 359, Expo-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34122, Korea
⁴Plant Engineering Division, Institute for Advanced Engineering, 175-28 Goan-ro 51, Baegam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17180, Korea
⁵Department of Energy Engineering, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea
⁶Research Center for Carbon Convergence Materials, Korea Institute of Carbon Convergence Technology, Jeonju 54853, Korea

E-mail:,

We introduce a facile strategy to upcycle lignin waste to valuable activated carbon (AC). Unlike conventional preparation processes of AC, such as high-temperature carbonization above 600 °Cfollowed by chemical or physical activation, we synthesized AC through low-carbonization (~300 °C), ball-milling, and thermal activation. Lowtemperature carbonization effectively led to the formation of the micro-pores and simultaneously high yield. Uniform activated morphology of char lignin is achieved through a ball-milling process. The as-synthesized AC exhibited a large specific surface area of 1075.18m2 g-1, high specific capacitance of 115.1 F g-1, and excellent adsorbability of 0.23 gtoluene per gactivated carbon. Therefore, we believe that the presented facile strategy could lead to the realization of upcycling of lignin waste to highly useful AC.

Keywords:Lignin;Activated Carbon;Steam Activation;Capacitor;Volatile Organic Compounds

[References]

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Duval A, Lawoko M, React. Funct. Polym., 85, 78 (2014)
Barta K, Anastas P, Beach E, Hansen T, Warner G, Foley P, U.S. Patent, 10,059,650 (2018).
Belgacem MN, Gandini A, Monomers, polymers and composites from renewable resources, Amsterdam, Elsevier (2008).
Joh HI, Song HK, Lee CH, Yun JM, Jo SM, Lee S, Na SI, Chien AT, Kumar S, Carbon, 70, 308 (2014)
Joh HI, Song HK, Yi KB, Lee S, Carbon, 53, 409 (2013)
Sircar S, Golden TC, Rao MB, Carbon, 34, 1 (1996)
Suhas, Carrott PJM, Carrott MMLR, Bioresour. Technol., 98(12), 2301 (2007)
Gao Z, Zhang Y, Song N, Li X, Mater. Res. Lett., 5, 69 (2017)
DA, Hegde G, RSC Adv., 5, 88339 (2015)
Kumar A, Hegde H, Manaf SABA, Ngaini Z, Sharma KV, Chem. Commun., 50, 12702 (2014)
Gonzalez-Serrano E, Cordero T, Rodriguez-Mirasol J, Cotoruelo L, Rodriguez JJ, Water Res., 38, 3043 (2004)
Paterson RJ, Lignin: properties and applications in biotechnology and bioenergy, Nova Science Publishers (2012).
Yorgun S, Vural N, Demiral H, Microporous Mesoporous Mater., 122, 189 (2009)
Lillo-Rodenas MA, Cazorla-Amoros D, Linares-Solano A, Carbon, 41, 267 (2003)
Kou T, Yao B, Liu T, Li Y, J. Mater. Chem. A., 5, 17151 (2017)
Ma X, Yang H, Yu L, Chen Y, Li Y, Materials, 7, 4431 (2014)
Rodriguez-Mirasol J, Cordero T, Rodriguez JJ, Energy Fuels, 7, 133 (1993)
Xie XF, Goodell B, Zhang DJ, Nagle DC, Qian YH, Peterson ML, Jellison J, Bioresour. Technol., 100(5), 1797 (2009)
Kijima M, Hirukawa T, Hanawa F, Hata T, Bioresour. Technol., 102(10), 6279 (2011)
Brebu M, Cazacu G, Chirila O, Cell. Chem. Technol., 45, 43 (2011)
Brebu M, Vasile C, Cell. Chem. Technol., 44, 353 (2010)
Alen R, Kuoppala E, Oesch P, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 36, 137 (1996)
Rodrigues J, Graca J, Pereira H, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 58-59, 481 (2001)
Yang D, Zhong LX, Yuan TQ, Peng XW, Sun RC, Ind. Crop. Prod., 43, 141 (2013)
Oh K, Lee S, Park S, Ku BC, Lee SH, Bang YH, Joh HI, Sci. Adv. Mater., 9, 1566 (2017)
Arenas E, Chejne F, Carbon, 42, 2451 (2004)
Zolin A, Jensen AD, Jensen PA, Dam-Johansen K, Fuel, 81(8), 1065 (2002)
Azargohar R, Dalai AK, Microporous Mesoporous Mater., 85, 219 (2005)
Lashaki MJ, Fayaz M, Wang H, Hashisho Z, Philips JH, Anderson JE, Nichols M, Environ. Sci. Technol., 46, 4083 (2012)

[Referenced By]

[1] Chatterjee S, Saito T, ChemSusChem., 8, 3941 (2015)

[2] Duval A, Lawoko M, React. Funct. Polym., 85, 78 (2014)

[3] Barta K, Anastas P, Beach E, Hansen T, Warner G, Foley P, U.S. Patent, 10,059,650 (2018).

[4] Belgacem MN, Gandini A, Monomers, polymers and composites from renewable resources, Amsterdam, Elsevier (2008).

[5] Joh HI, Song HK, Lee CH, Yun JM, Jo SM, Lee S, Na SI, Chien AT, Kumar S, Carbon, 70, 308 (2014)

[6] Joh HI, Song HK, Yi KB, Lee S, Carbon, 53, 409 (2013)

[7] Sircar S, Golden TC, Rao MB, Carbon, 34, 1 (1996)

[8] Suhas, Carrott PJM, Carrott MMLR, Bioresour. Technol., 98(12), 2301 (2007)

[9] Gao Z, Zhang Y, Song N, Li X, Mater. Res. Lett., 5, 69 (2017)

[10] DA, Hegde G, RSC Adv., 5, 88339 (2015)

[11] Kumar A, Hegde H, Manaf SABA, Ngaini Z, Sharma KV, Chem. Commun., 50, 12702 (2014)

[12] Gonzalez-Serrano E, Cordero T, Rodriguez-Mirasol J, Cotoruelo L, Rodriguez JJ, Water Res., 38, 3043 (2004)

[13] Paterson RJ, Lignin: properties and applications in biotechnology and bioenergy, Nova Science Publishers (2012).

[14] Yorgun S, Vural N, Demiral H, Microporous Mesoporous Mater., 122, 189 (2009)

[15] Lillo-Rodenas MA, Cazorla-Amoros D, Linares-Solano A, Carbon, 41, 267 (2003)

[16] Kou T, Yao B, Liu T, Li Y, J. Mater. Chem. A., 5, 17151 (2017)

[17] Ma X, Yang H, Yu L, Chen Y, Li Y, Materials, 7, 4431 (2014)

[18] Rodriguez-Mirasol J, Cordero T, Rodriguez JJ, Energy Fuels, 7, 133 (1993)

[19] Xie XF, Goodell B, Zhang DJ, Nagle DC, Qian YH, Peterson ML, Jellison J, Bioresour. Technol., 100(5), 1797 (2009)

[20] Kijima M, Hirukawa T, Hanawa F, Hata T, Bioresour. Technol., 102(10), 6279 (2011)

[21] Brebu M, Cazacu G, Chirila O, Cell. Chem. Technol., 45, 43 (2011)

[22] Brebu M, Vasile C, Cell. Chem. Technol., 44, 353 (2010)

[23] Alen R, Kuoppala E, Oesch P, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 36, 137 (1996)

[24] Rodrigues J, Graca J, Pereira H, J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis, 58-59, 481 (2001)

[25] Yang D, Zhong LX, Yuan TQ, Peng XW, Sun RC, Ind. Crop. Prod., 43, 141 (2013)

[26] Oh K, Lee S, Park S, Ku BC, Lee SH, Bang YH, Joh HI, Sci. Adv. Mater., 9, 1566 (2017)

[27] Arenas E, Chejne F, Carbon, 42, 2451 (2004)

[28] Zolin A, Jensen AD, Jensen PA, Dam-Johansen K, Fuel, 81(8), 1065 (2002)

[29] Azargohar R, Dalai AK, Microporous Mesoporous Mater., 85, 219 (2005)

[30] Lashaki MJ, Fayaz M, Wang H, Hashisho Z, Philips JH, Anderson JE, Nichols M, Environ. Sci. Technol., 46, 4083 (2012)