Eco-Anodes Obtained from Organic Waste for High Efficiency Lithium Ion Batteries Applications

The thesis work focuses on the preparation of three hard carbon/graphite hybrids from three different species of bamboo (BA, PE, PJ), to be applied as anodes for high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries. The production process adopted allows for the generation of graphites that are naturally rich in silicon, due to the natural abundance of Si in bamboo. The silicon within the carbon matrix enables superior electrochemical performance compared to commercial hard carbons and graphites. The powders were analyzed using various characterization techniques: SEM-EDS, TEM, XPS, XRD, and charge-discharge tests. From the analyses, it was possible to establish the appropriate particle size of the materials for their application in lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, two matrices (PJ and BA) were found to be richer in silicon, while the third (PE) was found to have a low amount of this element. Electrochemical tests revealed that batteries produced from the PE system were not particularly efficient. However, two batteries with gravimetric capacities of 779 mAh/g (PE_3) and 550 mAh/g (BA_3) confirmed that the matrix can be rich in silicon and that this element acts as a promoter of the gravimetric capacity of the produced anodes.