UMPSA ACHIEVES MILESTONE IN SYNTHETIC GRAPHITE PRODUCTION FROM PALM BIOMASS

KUANTAN, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Researchers from Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) have made a historic achievement by successfully producing synthetic graphite from palm fronds (OPF) and palm kernel shells (PKS), opening up new opportunities for Malaysia's High-Growth High-Value (HGHV) sector.

This groundbreaking discovery, the first of its kind in Malaysia, involves converting biomass at lower temperatures without using harmful chemicals, offering a sustainable alternative for the energy and manufacturing industries.

Project leader, Prof. Dr Jose Rajan, also a senior research fellow at the Centre for Advanced Materials Intelligence (CAIM), said that producing synthetic graphite from palm biomass could reduce dependence on dwindling natural resources.

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"Graphite is a crucial component in lithium-ion batteries, making up around 28 per cent of the total structure. These batteries are increasingly used in mobile devices and electric vehicles (EVs), which are growing rapidly in Malaysia," said Dr Rajan.

The Faculty of Science and Industrial Technology (FSTI) professor also highlighted Malaysia's competitive advantage, as the country produces approximately 127 million tonnes of palm biomass annually, which could be converted into high-value materials.

Dr Rajan explained that his research team had optimised the synthesis protocol to produce an alternative to natural graphite for use in energy storage electrodes.

“Traditionally, graphite production requires temperatures exceeding 2,500°C. However, in this study, palm biomass was treated at temperatures below 1,100°C, enabling the formation of graphite-like structures.

"This reduction in temperature opens the door to more sustainable and cost-effective synthetic graphite production, as opposed to traditional methods or natural sources," he told Bernama.

Apart from its use in energy storage, graphite is widely applied in the steel industry, lubricants, pigments, and electronics, all of which require high-quality carbon materials.

"Producing graphite from biomass supports the circular economy concept, as agricultural waste is transformed into a value-added product," said Dr Rajan.

The research has also led to the development of a supercapacitor using synthetic graphite, which demonstrated impressive performance with an energy density of 36 Wh/kg and a power density of 2,400 W/kg.

The device maintained stability after 10,000 charge cycles, proving its potential for modern energy storage technologies.

This breakthrough was made possible with the support of CAIM director Dr Izan Izwan Misnon, and postgraduate students Dawn Sivan, Gayathry Ganesh, Saima Zafar, Cherraka Ashwati, and Mohammad Ullah, who contributed to the success of the project.

The UMPSA research team is now focusing on developing lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries to optimise the properties of bio-based synthetic graphite.

-- BERNAMA