Value added porous carbon from leather wastes as potential supercapacitor electrode using neutral electrolyte

Leather industries produce a large quantity of chromium containing wet blue leather solid waste (WBW), that are either thrown away or dumped in open lands causing environmental issues. These WBW are biologically resistant as a result of complexation between chromium (III) salts and the carboxyl groups of collagen. The objective of this study is to propose an unusual way to minimize environmental contamination routing through waste to energy concept, adopting cleaner methodologies. The research is also specifically focussed to bring in, new initiatives through interdisciplinary approach serving as a decisive key to transform wet blue leather wastes into a high performance supercapacitor electrode material. Electrochemical measurements such as cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques using 1 M Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte were performed to evaluate the suitability of the prepared carbon for supercapacitor applications. Na2SO4, is chosen as it can serve as neutral electrolyte, and has less corrosion behavior. The values of specific capacitance, specific energy, specific power and cycle stability for WBW activated at 900 °C (LSAC9) were 2203 Fg-1, 624.7 Whkg−1, 749.9 Wkg-1 and over 10,000 cycles respectively and are comparable with graphene like carbons. The performance of WBW porous carbons are consequence of micro-meso porosity and graphitic structure and are an initiative of waste to energy storage conversion concepts.