Upcycling of electric arc furnace dust into ZnO-Fe3O4 nanocomposites for high-performance supercapacitor applications


AYDIN O., Donmez K. B., GENÇTEN M., BİROL B.

Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1039/d5ta06054k
  • Dergi Adı: Journal of Materials Chemistry A
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, MEDLINE, Metadex, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The growing global demand for sustainable energy has driven extensive research into efficient energy storage systems. In this study, a novel approach is proposed for the upcycling of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), a hazardous industrial waste into high-performance ZnO-Fe3O4 nanocomposites for use as supercapacitor electrodes. EAFD, rich in zinc and iron oxides, was processed through sulfuric acid leaching, co-precipitation, and thermal treatment, yielding nanostructured ZnO-Fe3O4. Under optimized conditions leaching efficiencies reached 98.3% for Zn and 90.1% for Fe. Subsequent co-precipitation at pH 8 successfully recovered both metals into a precursor with an efficiency greater than 99%. Following the thermal treatment, the synthesized nanocomposites were employed as electrode materials in asymmetric coin-cell supercapacitors. Electrochemical characterization demonstrated a specific capacitance of 35.2 mF cm−2, an energy density of 25.03 μWh cm−2, and a power density of 430.81 μW cm−2 at a current density of 0.25 mA cm−2. Moreover, the device exhibited excellent cycling stability, retaining 81% of its initial capacitance after 7000 charge-discharge cycles. These findings demonstrate a scalable, eco-friendly approach for converting industrial waste into high-performance energy storage materials, aligning with circular economy principles and supporting environmental remediation.