IIT Madras to develop eco-friendly technology to upcycle paddy waste

The technology will provide an additional source of income to farmers as paddy waste can be used to produce energy devices that can be used by the industry.  

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras researchers are planning to develop an eco-friendly technology to upcycle paddy waste to manufacture raw materials for industrial applications. 

The technology will provide an additional source of income to farmers as paddy waste can be used to produce energy devices that can be used by the industry. The approach can make a key contribution to reducing stubble burning and burning of other farm waste in North India. 

The researchers are fostering a new ‘farm-energy synergy’ through their work with organic waste, in-particular kitchen waste, to develop usable activated carbon, a key component in making supercapacitors. Supercapacitors, made from activated carbon produced from paddy waste, have many benefits to consumers across the electronics, energy, and agricultural sectors and can help develop self-reliance in the supercapacitors field. 

Self-reliance concerning supercapacitors and supercapacitor-based energy storage technology will enhance IP Generation and employment within the country. Currently, the sheer quantum of paddy waste generated is 760 lakh metric tons per year in India. Farmers consider burning straw as the most low-cost and efficient alternative to tailing the straw into the soil. This results in substantial pollution and a severe ecological problem.  

IIT Madras researchers have already demonstrated the conversion of bio-waste into biomass (such as vegetable waste) to activated carbon and have used it to make supercapacitor electrode materials. The same technology can be adapted to render paddy waste valid for activated carbon production. The future plan is to use the approach being followed to make activated carbon and explore scales of production. 

The project is being headed by Tiju Thomas, Associate Professor, Department of Metallurgical and Materials, IIT Madras. The Institute is looking for CSR Partners to help scale up the project and benefit the country at large. 

He said, “The solution that we are identifying is a well-defined process. It will allow for conversion of paddy waste of the country to commercial standard carbon material and the use of the activated carbon to fabricate supercapacitors that comply with the market standard (e.g., ~4 Wh kg-1 for supercapacitors with <5 V range). The material will be implemented in the form of a suitable supercapacitor-based hybrid energy storage device.” 

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