Russian Scientists Develop Batteries Using Hogweed

Dec 22, 2022

Moscow (Russia), Dec 22, (ANI/TV BRICS): Fields of this poisonous plant can be found in every region of Russia. In the 20th century, hogweed was cultivated as a fodder for animals. But it didn't work - the weed quickly spread and began to interfere with the growth of other crops. How to get rid of it to be effective and expedient? Russian scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University have found the answer. A battery needs a carbon foundation to work. Lithium-ion batteries use graphite, but the availability of materials decreases every year.The situation is the opposite for sodium-ion batteries. The substance can be obtained from the most common forms: soda, paper and Hogweed. To turn hogweed into a carbon foundation for a battery, you need to extract the necessary components. Next, the cathode material is extracted. To do this, the components are mixed in solution. This method is called ‘sol-gel’. The ready components are placed in a reactor and sent to a furnace for hydrothermal treatment. The carbon base obtained from the hogweed is transferred to Russia's Skolkovo Science Centre, where the batteries are assembled. Once the right combination has been found, the materials are sent to the stacker that assembles the battery. After that, the resulting "sandwich" of electrodes is cased, the future battery undergoes the necessary procedures and the prototype is ready! Developers are now able to assemble high-capacity batteries. Russian scientists are also working on improving the electrode qualities so that the batteries can hold more power.