Researchers have developed a process that transforms mattress textiles into conducive carbon materials used to make the anodes and cathodes in lithium-sulfur rechargeable batteries.
- These next-generation, lithium-sulphur batteries have 2–3 times more energy storage capacity than conventional lithium-ion batteries.
- Electrodes in the lithium batteries that are expected to power tomorrow’s electric vehicles could now well be made from recycled mattress textiles.
- This development comes at the end of a three-year study at the National Institute for Materials Advancement at Pittsburgh State University (PSU) in Kansas, US. The researchers were led by Ram Gupta.
The Project: In the project, funded by the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC), researchers converted and tested coconut fibres, shoddy pad (which is a felt-like product already made of recycled fabrics), and cotton fibers in battery applications. These are materials that today are difficult to recycle.
- The research team found that cotton was the best material for building these new batteries.
- Preliminary results indicate that the experimental rechargeable batteries both perform equal to or better than conventional batteries and do not require scarce metals such as nickel, manganese and cobalt, which are found in many of today’s lithium batteries.
- The PSU research team is exploring the potential for commercialising these positive results.
The Significance: The research is significant for several reasons. The world faces a global shortage of suitable carbon feedstocks for making electrodes, which are needed to satisfy the growing demand for rechargeable batteries.
- Textiles—and not just from mattresses—are challenging to recycle, but could provide an inexpensive, clean, and abundant feedstock that can fill current and emerging needs.
- Sourcing feedstocks from recycled materials means they have a much lower environmental footprint relative to conventional sources.
The Council: The MRC operates statewide mattress recycling programmes in California, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Collectively, these programmes have recycled over 12 million mattresses till date.
- The MRC has documented that mattress recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions and lowers energy and water consumption. By weight, about 75% of each mattress is recycled.
- The battery project with PSU is one of a series of MRC-funded research projects designed to find new markets for recycled mattress materials (including textiles) and increase both the percentage of each mattress that can be recycled and the environmental benefits of mattress recycling.
