Conduction mechanism of a moisture diffusion energy harvesting device prepared with mesopore-rich activated carbon

Abstract

In this study, biomass-derived mesopore-rich activated carbon (Bio-ACm) was obtained by carbonizing, and its properties were investigated through various analyses for deepening the understanding of the moisture diffusion energy harvesters (MDEH). Analyses showed that, after 50 minutes of shaker ball milling, the proportion of particles less than 1 mu m in Bio-ACm increased from 0.3 % to 19.8 %, while the specific surface area decreased by 67 % after the same treatment. However, after surface modification, the specific surface area increased again by three times and recovered to the original level of 1230.6 m2/g and the mesopore surface area was also greatly increased, reaching 178.5 m2/g. The compression experiment showed that the resistance of moisture diffusion energy harvester fabricated with Bio-ACm (Bio-MDEHm) decreased depending on the compressive strength, and its decrease was varied by particle size. In other words, the conductivity of Bio-MDEHm is affected by the particle size of the activated carbon. The understanding of the conduction mechanism and mesoporous properties of BioMDEHm obtained in this study may contribute to the further development of Bio-MDEHm as a sustainable energy option.