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Transforming polyethylene foam into a hard carbon anode: a study on its structure and sodium storage behavior

  • Carbon Letters
  • Abbr : Carbon Lett.
  • 2026, 36(1), pp.365~378
  • DOI : 10.1007/s42823-025-00991-7
  • Publisher : Korean Carbon Society
  • Research Area : Natural Science > Natural Science General > Other Natural Sciences General
  • Received : November 9, 2025
  • Accepted : December 8, 2025
  • Published : February 1, 2026

Moon Seungjae 1 Kim Kitak 1 Park Suah 1 Yang Yongjun 1 Kim Seung Gun 1 Jin Heewon 1 Kim Sang Eun 1 Nam Seunghoon 1 Dalsu Choi 1

1명지대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In this study, we upcycled waste polyethylene (PE) foam into a hard carbon anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) via sulfonation and subsequent carbonization. Following an optimized sulfonation process (100 °C, 24 h), the sample carbonized at 800℃ (PE_C800) demonstrated the best performance, showing a high reversible capacity of 180 mAh·g− 1 at 0.1 C, excellent rate capability, and long-term cycling stability (93.3% retention after 100 cycles). Structural analysis revealed this sample possessed a hierarchical porous structure and an interlayer spacing (0.388 nm), suitable for Na+ insertion. Through cyclic voltammetry (CV) kinetic analysis and ex-situ Raman spectroscopy, the sodium storage was determined to follow an “adsorption-insertion model”, combining surface adsorption and interlayer insertion. This work presents a practical route for converting plastic waste into high performance energy storage materials.

Citation status

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This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.