High Performance Carbonized Plastics for Energy Storage

A method for fabricating a battery or a supercapacitor, the method comprising the steps of:

• collecting plastic;
• rinsing the plastic with a liquid to remove residues;
• performing a high-temperature carbonization of the plastic to form carbonized plastic;
• and
• fabricating a carbonaceous electrode from the carbonized plastic.

A method for fabricating an energy storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

• liquefying recycled bottles comprising a plastic by at least one of melting the plastic and dissolving the plastic in a solvent;
• delivering the liquefied plastic to a conductive tip;
• applying a high voltage to the conductive tip to extrude plastic fibers therefrom;
• collecting the extruded plastic fibers on a collection substrate;
• pyrolyzing the plastic fibers;
• and
• forming an electrode for the energy storage device from the pyrolyzed plastic fibers.

A method for fabricating an energy storage device material, the method comprising the steps of:

• liquefying a plastic by at least one of melting the plastic or dissolving the plastic in a solvent;
• delivering the liquefied plastic to a conductive tip;
• applying a high voltage to the conductive tip to extrude plastic fibers therefrom;
• collecting the extruded plastic fibers on a collection substrate;
• impregnating the plastic fibers with FeCl3 by (i) immersion in FeCl3 solution, and (ii) drying of the plastic fibers;
• coating the FeCl3-impregnated plastic fibers with polypyrrole by exposure to pyrrole vapors;
• removing at least one of excess FeCl3 or iron from the polypyrrole-coated plastic fibers;
• pyrolyzing the polypyrrole-coated plastic fibers;
• and
• forming an electrode for the energy storage device from the pyrolyzed plastic fibers.