This study presents a mass-production process for conductive carbon membrane-type sponge electrodes derived from recyclable cellulose biowaste. It includes an all-in-one hydrogel fabrication process for mass production, which significantly shortens the complex and expensive process for the conventional process of catalytic electrodes based on conductive supporting substrates such as the gas diffusion layer (GDL). The presence of pre-adsorbed melamine powder in the all-in-one hydrogel induces internal diffusion of the gaseous reactant for the uniform growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the sponge-like porous carbon aerogel with a relatively thick and tortuous pore structure, thereby providing the electrochemical properties and mechanical strength simultaneously required for the air electrodes of rechargeable and quasi solid-state zinc-air batteries.
Keywords: carbon aerogel; cellulose; mass production; zinc-air batteries.