At Graz University of Technology they have developed a way to use the flavouring substance vanillin, which we all know from baking, for sustainable energy storage. The electrochemical redox activity of the product generated from it is used in redox flow batteries. These are becoming increasingly important as electricity storage systems – for grid stabilisation in the expansion of renewable energies, as backup storage for critical infrastructures or as e-charging infrastructure. So far, however, they have been based on ecologically problem-atic heavy metals or rare earths, which could now be replaced by renewable substances. Vanillin can be obtained from lignin, which is available cheaply and in large quantities as a waste product of paper production. Its use as energy storage before it is as previously thermally utilised is an excellent example of the cascading use of a renewable resource.
Lignobatt, seit 2017
Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology/ Graz University of Technology
Project partners: Institute for Chemistry and Technology of Materials (ICTM)/ Graz University of Technology, Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry (PTC)/Graz University of Technology, Chair of Chemistry of Polymeric Materials/Montanuniversität Leoben
