Skip to content
Today
Sections

Science Independently confirmed2 publishers 2 min read Published Updated

Limerick team makes sodium-ion battery carbon nanofibers from pulp-and-paper waste using water

University of Limerick researchers made carbon nanofibers for sodium-ion batteries from lignosulfonate, a pulp-and-paper waste, in a water-based process. The team says the process also does without the synthetic binders and additives common in battery manufacturing.

The Scientist · Science desk

Send a correction

Illustration accompanying Limerick team makes sodium-ion battery carbon nanofibers from pulp-and-paper waste using water
Generated illustration

What happened

  • The paper appeared in Advanced Materials and was led by Limerick researchers working with colleagues at the University of Valencia.
  • The team combined lignosulfonate with other naturally derived ingredients to make ultrafine fibers, then converted them into carbon structures designed for energy storage.
  • First author Judith Miralda-Jalle, a Ph.D. researcher at Limerick, studied how the chemistry and structure of the carbon changed during processing.
  • The release presents sodium-ion cells as a promising option because sodium is one of the most abundant elements on Earth.

Why it matters

  • What it limits constraint A battery maker cannot rank these fibers against the carbon it already buys until capacity and cycle-life data are in hand.
  • What's now possible capability The release calls lignosulfonate an underutilized industrial byproduct; battery carbon is a candidate outlet for it if the performance case holds.
  • Who has to decide decision A team choosing a processing route for sodium-ion carbon can test the water-based, binder-free claim in its own equipment before counting it as a saving.

Next story · Science · 2h ago

Light and ultrasound drive lignin chemistry to two drug-research compounds in lab tests

One report1 publisher

The release calls the fibers "high-performance" [15], and the one result behind the word is qualitative. Maurice N. Collins, who led the study, said, "A key breakthrough from the research was the discovery that the performance of the material can be tailored by controlling its structure at the nanoscale." [6] In the team's account, that tailoring improved how efficiently sodium ions are stored and released during charging and discharging [8]. The release does not include capacity, cycle-life or cost figures for the fibers [17].

First author Judith Miralda-Jalle framed the work as explanation. "This study was not only about creating a new battery material, but also about understanding the science behind it," Miralda-Jalle said. [9] The paper's title calls it "A Mechanistic Study" [5]. From the release alone, we think the paper's main product is an account of why certain carbon structures store sodium well. Miralda-Jalle said the team gained "insights that can help guide the design of more efficient and sustainable materials for future batteries." [16]

The process claim is easier to judge than the performance claim. Tadhg Kennedy, co-director of the AMPEiRE Battery Research Centre at the University of Limerick, said, "We start with an abundant industrial byproduct, process it using water rather than organic solvents, and engineer its internal structure to improve sodium storage." [14][13] In our view that claim is the sturdier of the two, because it describes a recipe that can be checked against the paper's methods, while a performance claim needs a benchmark.

The paper's title refers to "Water Processable Lignin Blends" [5], and the team combined lignosulfonate with other naturally derived ingredients [7].

What to watch

  • Capacity and cycle-life data in the paper's results, set against a stated baseline carbon.
  • Identification of the other naturally derived ingredients in the blend, and whether they are as abundant as lignosulfonate.
  • Any repeat of the water-based, binder-free route by a group outside Limerick and Valencia.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence40
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+35
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence55
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    University of Limerick researchers, working with colleagues at the University of Valencia, developed a green chemistry process that uses water instead of toxic solvents to create battery materials.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  2. [2]

    Lignosulfonate, a waste material derived from the pulp and paper industries, can be transformed into carbon nanofibers for sodium-ion batteries.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  3. [3]

    The process eliminates the need for synthetic binders and additives commonly used in battery manufacturing.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  4. [4]

    The study, published in Advanced Materials, was led by University of Limerick researchers in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Valencia.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  5. [5]

    The paper is titled 'A Mechanistic Study of Bio-Based Nanotemplated Carbon Nanofibers Derived From Water Processable Lignin Blends for Sustainable Energy Storage Applications' (Advanced Materials, 2026).

    Reported Supported Source: Publication details in the University of Limerick releaseView cited source
  6. [6]

    Maurice N. Collins said, "A key breakthrough from the research was the discovery that the performance of the material can be tailored by controlling its structure at the nanoscale."

    Reported Supported Source: Maurice N. Collins, professor of materials science, University of Limerick, who led the studyView cited source
  7. [7]

    The team produced the material by combining lignosulfonate with other naturally derived ingredients to create ultrafine fibers, which were then converted into carbon structures designed for energy storage applications.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  8. [8]

    By engineering the nanostructure of the carbon material, the team improved how efficiently sodium ions are stored and released during charging and discharging.

    Reported Supported Source: Maurice N. Collins, as quoted in the University of Limerick releaseView cited source
  9. [9]

    Judith Miralda-Jalle said, "This study was not only about creating a new battery material, but also about understanding the science behind it."

    Reported Supported Source: Judith Miralda-Jalle, first author and Ph.D. researcher at the University of LimerickView cited source
  10. [10]

    First author Judith Miralda-Jalle, a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Limerick, investigated how the chemistry and structure of the carbon changed during processing.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  11. [11]

    Sodium is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, making sodium-ion batteries a promising option for future energy storage.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  12. [12]

    Lignosulfonate is currently an underutilized industrial byproduct.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  13. [13]

    Tadhg Kennedy said, "We start with an abundant industrial byproduct, process it using water rather than organic solvents, and engineer its internal structure to improve sodium storage."

    Reported Supported Source: Tadhg Kennedy, associate professor and co-author, University of LimerickView cited source
  14. [14]

    Tadhg Kennedy is an associate professor and co-director of the AMPEiRE Battery Research Centre at the University of Limerick.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  15. [15]

    The release says lignosulfonate can be transformed into high-performance carbon nanofibers for sodium-ion batteries.

    Reported Supported Source: University of Limerick release, published on phys.orgView cited source
  16. [16]

    Judith Miralda-Jalle said the team gained "insights that can help guide the design of more efficient and sustainable materials for future batteries."

    Reported Supported Source: Judith Miralda-Jalle, first author and Ph.D. researcher at the University of LimerickView cited source
  17. [17]

    The release does not report capacity, cycle-life or cost figures for the fibers; its only performance finding is the qualitative improvement in sodium storage and release.

    Derived Supported

Sources

2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. interestingengineering.com

    1 article · October 13, 2026

    Paper mill waste could become key material for cheaper sodium-ion batteries
  2. phys.org

    1 article · October 12, 2026

    Water-based process turns wood industry byproduct into carbon nanofibers for sodium-ion batteries

Topics and entities

Topics

Entities