Abstract:
This study aims to prepare an aluminum-citrate ion cell from waste aluminum
foils and citric acid extracted from Dovyalis caffra fruits (Kei apples) and further
demonstrate their electrochemical performance at varying impedances, electrode
thicknesses and discharge times. Aluminum oxide ions were prepared from discarded
aluminum foils, and citric acid were produced by co-precipitating macerated Dovyalis
caffra extracts by acid infusion. Aluminum foil wastes were utilized in acid codigestion to produce aluminum oxide nanoparticles. The prepared aluminum oxide
was then characterized for surface morphology, composition and phases present. The
prepared particles revealed Al2O3 boehmite moieties and ranged between 66.3 and
106.1 nm in size. The synthesized citric acid depicted desirable morphological and
electrolytes traits similar to those of commercial citric acid. The cells open and closed
current-voltages were directly proportional to the electrode diameter. While the cells
were found to be quite Ohmic in nature with increased impedance with electrode
distances, discharge times were also proportional to electrode diameters. The cell's
energy balance was 477.6–346.3 J/s, with a density of 47.1–53.7 Wh/kg. The results
showed that the cells could successfully produce portable energy storage devices
from waste materials.
