Utilization of Graphite Rods from Waste Batteries to Produce Graphene Solvent for Augmented Mechanical Strength of Papers and Boards

摘要

The generation of waste batteries is increasing yearly, and it is more prone to improper disposal resulting in environmental and health concerns. Treatment and handling of this waste are often costly and complex. Hence, an upcycling route to turn such waste into valuable material, specifically the production of graphene from graphite rods of waste batteries, was explored. Graphene dispersions were prepared by the solvent exfoliation of powdered graphite rods. A significant increase in the surface area was observed from 3.75 m~2 g~(-1) (graphite rod powder) to 239.05 m~2 g~(-1) (graphene powder) with a transparent sheet-like appearance. Then, the graphene dispersed in the solvent used for dip-coating of paper, cardboard, and composite plyboard. The tearing strength of paper and cardboard was improved by 70.6% and 31.0%, respectively. The compressive and shear strength of the composite plyboard increased by 14.8% and 72.0%, respectively. These results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing the graphene solvent from graphite rods of spent primary batteries for the fabrication of composite samples with significantly augmented mechanical properties for various applications.