Researchers Convert Discarded Masks into Low‑Cost High‑Performance Batteries
Scientists from Russia, the US and Mexico have developed a cost‑effective battery made from disinfected mask waste, graphene ink, and repurposed pharmaceutical packaging, offering a lightweight, thin, flexible energy storage solution that approaches lithium‑ion performance while addressing mask pollution and battery material shortages.
With the normalization of pandemic control measures, masks have become an everyday essential, protecting people on one hand while harming the ecological environment and threatening wildlife on the other.
Global mask consumption reaches about one billion units per day; if just 1% are mishandled, ten million discarded masks threaten the environment daily. In response, scientists have linked mask waste to battery production, offering a new solution to both mask recycling and battery supply challenges.
On February 12, ScienceDirect reported that researchers from the Russian National University of Science and Technology, together with colleagues from the United States and Mexico, developed a new technology that turns mask waste into cost‑effective batteries. The battery casing is made from pharmaceutical blister packaging, and the research was published in the journal *Energy Storage*.
Scientists note that the new battery is lighter and cheaper, with an energy density approaching that of the most common lithium‑ion batteries.
The battery’s main materials are graphene, masks, and pharmaceutical waste. First, mask waste is disinfected with ultrasound, then immersed in graphene‑based “ink”. After compression and heating, the electrode is formed. An insulating layer made from masks is placed between two electrodes, followed by soaking in a special electrolyte. Finally, a protective shell is added, completing the battery.
In recent years, the global pandemic has generated massive mask waste, creating a worldwide disposal challenge. Simultaneously, rapid growth in the new energy sector has intensified demand for lithium batteries, driving up prices and causing supply shortages.
The research team also highlights additional benefits: the low cost of using waste materials, the ability to produce thin and flexible batteries that can even be disposable, and the potential for future applications across various industries.
(Compiled from Energy Storage Journal and Tencent Technology)
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