MICROWAVE SYNTHESIS OF ELECTRODE MATERIAL FROM TEA BIOMASS FOR ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS

This article focuses on the production of a carbon material from tea waste for energy storage systems and the investigation of its properties. The synthesis process was carried out via microwave carbonization followed by physical activation in a CO₂ atmosphere. The morphological and structural characteristics of the samples were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized activated carbon exhibited high porosity and appreciable electrical conductivity. XRD analysis revealed diffraction peaks at (002) and (100), indicating a tendency of the obtained carbon material to form a graphite-like structure. In the Raman spectrum, the D (≈1350 cm⁻¹) and G (≈1580 cm⁻¹) bands were observed, indicating the presence of defects and graphitic domains within the carbon structure. The intensity ratio I_D/I_G was 0.73, suggesting a relatively well-ordered structure. The electrochemical properties of the activated carbon derived from tea waste were investigated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. According to the results, the specific capacitance of the carbon material reached up to 116 F/g at a current density of 500 mA/g. These findings confirm the promising potential of carbon materials derived from biomass for use in supercapacitors and their effectiveness in enhancing energy storage device performance.

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