Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Waste and Biomass Valorization, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The increasing demand for lightweight, multifunctional energy storage systems in electric vehicles has driven the exploration of materials that simultaneously deliver mechanical strength and electrochemical functionality. In this context, the present study proposes a novel and sustainable approach for developing potential structural supercapacitors by evaluating the electrochemical and mechanical performance of carbon fiber fabrics (CFFs) modified with biomass-derived activated carbon (AC). The AC was synthesized from industrial red pepper waste through K2CO3 activation at 800 °C, a relatively mild and environmentally benign process known to generate micropore-dominated hierarchical porosity favorable for rapid ion transport and high electrochemical accessibility. The resulting waste-derived AC exhibited a high specific surface area of 1120.96 m2 g−1 with dominant microporosity and nitrogen/oxygen-rich surface functionalities, validating its suitability for supercapacitor applications. Modified CFFs were prepared by coating them with AC at different mass ratios (2, 5, and 10%), leading to a significant enhancement in capacitance, as demonstrated by electrochemical analyses. Among the modified samples, the 10% AC–CFF exhibited the highest specific capacitance (4.59 F g−1), nearly 20 times greater than that of the as-received CFF, highlighting the improvement achieved through AC modification. Additionally, the 10% AC–CFF achieved a gravimetric energy density of 0.102 Wh kg−1 and retained 94–103% of its capacitance over 10,000 cycles, demonstrating excellent long-term electrochemical stability. To assess mechanical performance, AC-modified CFFs were incorporated into epoxy-based composites using the Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) process and tested via dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing. Excessive AC loading caused particle agglomeration, negatively affecting mechanical integrity. The 5% AC–CFF composite exhibited the best balance between electrochemical and mechanical properties, preserving 98% of its tensile strength and achieving a storage modulus of 228.9 GPa, thereby confirming its structural applicability. Overall, the results verify that biomass-derived activated carbon enables a balanced combination of stiffness, strength retention, and energy-storage capability at the material level, highlighting its promise as a precursor for next-generation structural supercapacitor materials.