Wood-Plastic Composites Integration for Triboelectric Nanogenerator Electricity Generation

• Main Authors: Park, Hanbyeol, Dimaporo, Razamala Yashna F., Emperado, Sophia Maureen A., Pangilinan, Anton Jefferson L., Gumangan, Juan Carlo T.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: triboelectric; wood-plastic composite; energy; mechanical energy conversion; renewable energy; Energy Systems; Other Materials Science and Engineering; Polymer and Organic Materials
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/sinaya/vol3/iss1/1; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/sinaya/article/1083/viewcontent/_Final_Proof__S_T_Manuscript_1.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Access to electricity in underdeveloped communities is particularly crucial in improving the living standards of people and alleviating poverty by promoting sustainable development. This study deals with the exploration of incorporating wood-plastic composite (WPC) – specifically wood pulp (W) and high-density polyethylene (H) – into triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) flooring system to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, promoting sustainable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the quality of life, and serving as feasible flooring tiles. Two types of TENG tiles were prepared by using different WPC ratios: 30W:70H and 70W:30H. A static bending test was conducted to assess the flexural strength of the TENGs, and a generated voltage test was performed by stepping on the TENGs several times and using a multimeter to measure the generated voltage. The 30W:70H TENGs had a significantly higher resistance to stress, with 18.0 MPa (SD=2.42), compared with that of 70W:30H TENGs, which had 8.07 MPa (SD=3.04) [t(8) = -5.74, p < 0.001]. However, the 30W:70H TENGs (overall M = 0.240 volts, SD = 0.051) generated slightly lower voltage than the 70W:30H TENGs (overall M = 0.265 volts, SD = 0.128), but no significant difference was concluded [t(8) = -0.415, p = 0.689]. The findings of this experiment allow for greater insight with respect to both compatibility and the potential applicability of the components in the real world. Other materials and parameters that could influence the performance of TENG tiles should be investigated, and the tiles should be tested under real-world conditions to obtain more accurate and practical performance data.