Science & Technology

Researchers at Walailak University have developed activated carbon from rubberwood sawdust to serve as a supercapacitor, aiming to reduce reliance on imports, add value to domestic rubberwood biomass, and contribute to sustainable development.

Assistant Professor Dr. Uthen Thubsuang, a researcher and lecturer in the Petrochemical and Polymer Engineering Program at the School of Engineering and Technology, Walailak University, explained that current energy trends are focusing on clean energy sources, such as electricity. Consequently, energy storage devices like supercapacitors and batteries are in increasing demand. A key component of these high-performance energy storage devices is the electrode material, for which activated carbon is commonly used. However, Thailand currently imports supercapacitor-grade activated carbon, primarily made from pine sawdust, at a cost of about 2,500 baht per kilogram. In 2020, the global market for supercapacitor-grade activated carbon was valued at approximately 200 million US dollars, with an expected annual growth rate of 10%. In 2019, Thailand’s activated carbon exports were valued at over 880 million baht, while imports exceeded 2 billion baht, coming from countries such as China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the United States, Japan, and Germany.

Thailand, particularly the southern region, is rich in biomass, especially from extensive rubber cultivation and related industries. Each year, large quantities of latex, rubberwood scraps, and biomass from both agricultural and industrial processes, such as rubberwood sawdust and rubberwood residues, are produced. This presents a significant opportunity to produce supercapacitor-grade activated carbon domestically. Doing so would help reduce import costs, increase the value of domestic wood and biomass, generate income for farmers through higher demand and prices for rubberwood, and support sustainable development goals.

Dr. Uthen and his research team have developed porous carbon from rubberwood sawdust and latex through a laboratory process that creates pores in the wood structure. When subjected to pyrolysis, this process results in activated carbon with a high surface area, high pore volume, and diverse pore structures, including micropores and mesopores. These properties make it suitable for various applications. Currently, the research team and students are applying this synthesized porous carbon in energy storage devices such as supercapacitors, fuel cells, and carbon dioxide adsorption, as well as converting it into high-value chemicals. Additionally, they are developing carbon as a catalyst for converting biomass and fatty acids into high-value chemicals, thereby increasing the value of waste materials from the domestic wood processing industry. The activated carbon produced can be used as an electrode material in supercapacitors, which are gaining attention as energy storage devices.

The research team is also exploring the development of porous carbon from oil palm biomass, biopolymers, and synthetic polymers such as phenolic resins, resulting in porous carbon with varying properties. Other porous materials being researched in the laboratory include Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and aluminosilicate materials such as zeolites, MCM, and SBA, which are used for adsorption, catalysis, and surface coating applications.

Dr. Uthen concluded by noting that over the past 2-3 years, this research has earned numerous national awards, including the Gold Award at the Thailand Research Expo 2022 and various accolades for student projects in porous carbon research. These accolades include the National Winner of the Startup Thailand League 2023 by the National Innovation Agency (NIA) and the National Winner in the Higher Education category at The Young Energy Designer Awards 2023, organized by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency. The research team also expressed deep gratitude for the support from various funding sources, including the Rubber Authority of Thailand, Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (PMU-B), and Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI).