Rice Husks Recycled For Use In High-Capacity Lithium Batteries

Korean researchers have demonstrated that rice husks, a major by-product in rice harvest, can be used to produce nano-porous silicon for use in high-capacity lithium-ion batteries.

The rice husk is the outer covering of a rice kernel that protects it from attack by insects and bacteria. Because it is removed during the harvesting of rice, over 100 million tons of rice husks are produced annually worldwide. Although efforts have been made to recycle rice husks for other uses, these have been limited to low-value agricultural applications.

Now, in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Korean researchers have described how they took advantage of the unique characteristics of rice husks to produce high-capacity anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

… Full text: www.asianscientist.com/in-the-lab/rice-husk-recycled-lithium-batteries-2013/

Tags: silica, nano-porous silicon, anodes, deterioration, advanced batteries