Browsing by Author "Othman"

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    Effects of Activation Time on the Performance of Supercapacitor Binderless Activated Carbon Electrodes Derived from Fibers of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches
    (2015-09-07) Ishak; Deraman, Mohamad; Dollah, Besek Nurdiana Mohd; Othman; Omar, Ramli; Basri, Nur Hamizah; Nor, Najah Syahirah Mohd; Taer, Erman; Awitdrus; Farma, Rakhmawati; Aziz
    Green monoliths (GMs) with different composition, labelled as GM1, GM2 and GM3, were prepared from self-adhesive carbon grains (SACG) produced from fibers of oil palm empty fruit bunches, SACG treated with 0.4 M H2SO4 and mixtures of SACG and carbon nanotubes (5 wt.%) treated with 0.4 M H2SO4, respectively. Each GMs was carbonized and then activated with holding time of 1 h and 2 h, respectively, to produce their respective activated carbon monoliths (ACMs). These ACMs were used as electrodes to fabricate supercapacitor cells using H2SO4 electrolytes, Teflon separator and stainless steel 316L current collector. The porosity of the ACMs, examined by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm method were found affected after prolonging the activation time. From the electrochemical characterization of the ACMs electrodes using galvanic charge-discharge methods, it was found that supercapacitor cells fabricated using the ACMs produced by longer activation time (2 h) showed better performance, which had higher specific capacitance (113 F/g), specific power (159 W/kg) and specific energy (3.35 W h/kg), compared to the cells using ACMs produced by shorter activation time (1 h).
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    Impedance spectroscopic analysis of composite electrode from activated carbon/conductive materials/ruthenium oxide for supercapacitor applications
    (2015-09-07) Taer, Erman; Deraman, Mohamad; Talib; Awitdrus; Farma, Rakhmawati; Ishak; Omar, Ramli; Dollah, Besek Nurdiana Mohd; Basri, Nur Hamizah; Othman; Kanwal
    Activated carbon powders (ACP) were produced from the KOH treated pre-carbonized rubber wood sawdust. Different conductive materials (graphite, carbon black and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) were added with a binder (polivinylidene fluoride (PVDF)) into ACP to improve the supercapacitive performance of the activated carbon (AC) electrodes. Symmetric supercapacitor cells, fabricated using these AC electrodes and 1 molar H2SO4 electrolyte, were analyzed using a standard electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The addition of graphite, carbon black and CNTs was found effective in reducing the cell resistance from 165 to 68, 23 and 49 Ohm respectively, and increasing the specific capacitance of the AC electrodes from 3 to 7, 17, 32 F g-1 respectively. Since the addition of CNTs can produce the highest specific capacitance, CNTs were chosen as a conductive material to produce AC composite electrodes that were added with 2.5 %, 5 % and 10 % (by weight) electro-active material namely ruthenium oxide; PVDF binder and CNTs contents were kept at 5 % by weight in each AC composite produced. The highest specific capacitance of the cells obtained in this study was 86 F g-1, i.e. for the cell with the resistance of 15 Ohm and composite electrode consists of 5 % ruthenium oxide.
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    A method to produce binderless supercapacitor electrode monoliths from biomass carbon and carbon nanotubes
    (2015-08-18) Dolah; Deraman; Othman; Farma, Rakhmawati; Awitdrus
    Binderless supercapacitor electrode monoliths (BSEM), prepared via the carbonization and activation of green monoliths from (a) self-adhesive carbon grains (SACG) from oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers, (b) SACG mixed with KOH, and (c) mixtures of SACG, KOH, and varying percentages of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), were characterized and evaluated in symmetrical supercapacitor cells. The porosity and the structural and microstructural characteristics of the electrodes are influenced by KOH and CNTs. The electrodes containing CNTs have a relatively lower specific capacitance but exhibit lower equivalent series resistance values and hence can sustain or improve the specific power of the cells, suggesting the need to optimize the quantity of CNTs used to sustain higher specific capacitance above 100 F/g. This innovative process uses inexpensive SACG with relatively small quantities of CNTs and KOH with no binder, and it directly combines both chemical (KOH) and physical (CO2) activation during the production of BSEM.
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    Supercapacitor Electrodes from Activated Carbon Monoliths and Carbon Nanotubes
    (2015-09-07) Dollah, Besek Nurdiana Mohd; Othman; Deraman, Mohamad; Basri, Nur Hamizah; Farma, Rakhmawati; Talib; Ishak
    Binderless monoliths of supercapacitor electrodes were prepared by the carbonization (N2) and activation (CO2) of green monoliths (GMs). GMs were made from mixtures of self-adhesive carbon grains (SACG) of fibers from oil palm empty fruit bunches and a combination of 5 & 6% KOH and 0, 5 & 6% carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by weight. The electrodes from GMs containing CNTs were found to have lower specific BET surface area (SBET). The electrochemical behavior of the supercapacitor fabricated using the prepared electrodes were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD). In general an addition of CNTs into the GMs reduces the equivalent series resistance (ESR) value of the cells. A cell fabricated using electrodes from GM with 5% CNT and 5% KOH was found to have the largest reduction of ESR value than that from the others GMs containing CNT. The cell has steeper Warburg’s slope than that from its respective non-CNT GM, which reflect the smaller resistance for electrolyte ions to move into pores of electrodes despite these electrodes having largest reduction in specific BET surface area. The cell also has the smallest reduction of specific capacitance (Csp) and maintains the specific power range despite a reduction in the specific energy range due to the CNT addition.