Aluminosilicate-based material fabricated from fly ash for energy harvesting application

Abstract

A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is an emerging energy harvesting technology that utilizes the combination of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction to collect wasted mechanical energy and convert it into electricity. In this work, an aluminosilicate (AS)-based composite, considered as a potential alternative to cement material, has been developed for the fabrication of TENGs. Herein, the AS material is synthesized through the alkali activation of fly ash using a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) solutions as activating agents. The electrical output of AS TENGs can be optimized by tuning the liquid-to-solid powder (L/S) ratio during the fabrication of AS composites. The AS composites fabricated at different L/S ratios exhibit the variations in dielectric properties, surface morphology and microstructure. It is found that a high dielectric constant is not the only requirement for achieving optimal TENG output performance. The contribution of dielectric properties and microstructures of the AS composites on TENG performance is discussed. The AS composite with an optimal L/S ratio of 0.5 results in the highest TENG power output density of 2.78 W/m2. Additionally, the versatility of AS TENG to harvest mechanical energy and its application as a power source for portable electronic device are demonstrated. This research has proposed the promising aspect of AS composites as alternative construction materials capable of harvesting mechanical energy, which is essential for the development of green and sustainable power sources.