Synthesis of Carbon from Tea Powder Waste for Development of Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

Abstract Tea waste is inexpensive and is plenteously available around the world especially in south Asian countries. The filtered tea powder waste acts as a carbonaceous source which can be utilized for variety of applications. Calcination of tea powder at 300°C and 400°C resulted in carbon powder which is further characterized using Raman Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The D and G bands of Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of graphitic planes in the structure. The morphology of synthesized carbon suggested that synthesized carbon has porous structure. The porous structure of the carbon makes it widely applicable in water filtration applications. Furthermore, the synthesized carbon can be used as filler material for 3D printable filaments.