Collagen and Carbon-ferrous Nanoparticles Used as a Green Energy Composite Material for Energy Storage Devices

Abstract

Background:: Chrome shavings, a bioactive material, are generated from tannery as waste material. These chrome shaving can be used for the preparation of many value-added products. Objective:: One such attempt is made to use these chrome shaving wastes as a composite bio-battery to produce DC voltage, an alternate green energy source and cleaner technology. Methods:: Chrome shavings are hydrolyzed to make collagen paste and mixed with the ferrous nanoparticles of Moringa oleifera leaves and Carbon nanoparticles of Onion peels to form electrolyte paste as base. Then, the electrolyte base was added to the aluminum paste and conducting gel, and mixed well to form composite material for bio-battery. Results:: The composite material of bio-battery has been characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). Series and parallel circuit testing were done using Copper and Zinc electrodes or Carbon and Zinc electrodes as the battery terminals in the electrolyte paste. The surface area of these electrodes needs standardization from bench to pilot scale. The power generated, for an AA battery size, using a single bio-battery cell has produced a DC voltage of 1.5 V; current of 900 mA. Circuit testing on 1 ml of 80 well-cells connected in series has produced DC output of 18 V and 1100 mA whereas 48 V and 1500 mA were obtained from a series-parallel connection. Conclusion:: The glass transition temperature (Tg) of electrolyte of the bio-battery at 53°C indicated that at this temperature, all the substances present in the bio-battery were well spread and consistently contributed to the electrolyte activity where Fe-C-nano-particles were able to form strong chemical bonds on the flanking hydroxyl group sites of the collagen leading to reduced mobility of polymers and increased Tg. The results instigate promising trends for commercial exploitation of this composite for bio-battery production.