The refining process of petroleum crude oil generates asphaltenes, which poses complicated problems during the production of cleaner fuels. Following refining, asphaltenes are typically combusted for reuse as fuel or discarded into tailing ponds and landfills, leading to economic and environmental disruption. Here, we show that low-value asphaltenes can be converted into a high-value carbon allotrope, asphaltene-derived flash graphene (AFG), via the flash joule heating (FJH) process. After successful conversion, we develop nanocomposites by dispersing AFG into a polymer effectively, which have superior mechanical, thermal, and corrosion-resistant properties compared to the bare polymer. In addition, the life cycle and technoeconomic analysis show that the FJH process leads to reduced environmental impact compared to the traditional processing of asphaltene and lower production cost compared to other FJH precursors. Thus, our work suggests an alternative pathway to the existing asphaltene processing that directs toward a higher value stream while sequestering downstream emissions from the processing.

This comprehensive review addresses the need for sustainable and efficient energy storage technologies against escalating global energy demand and environmental concerns. It explores the innovative utilization of waste materials from oil refineries and coal processing industries as precursors for carbon-based electrodes in next-generation energy storage systems, including batteries and supercapacitors. These waste-derived carbon materials, such as semi-coke, coal gasification fine ash, coal tar pitch, petroleum coke, and petroleum vacuum residue, offer a promising alternative to conventional electrode materials. They present an optimal balance of high carbon content and enhanced electrochemical properties while promoting environmental sustainability through effectively repurposing waste materials from coal and hydrocarbon industries. This review systematically examines recent advancements in fabricating and applying waste-derived carbon-based electrodes. It delves into the methodologies for converting industrial by-products into high-quality carbon electrodes, with a particular emphasis on carbonization and activation processes tailored to enhance the electrochemical performance of the derived materials. Key findings indicate that while higher carbonization temperatures may impede the development of a porous structure, using KOH as an activating agent has proven effective in developing mesoporous structures conducive to ion transport and storage. Moreover, incorporating heteroatom doping (with elements such as sulfur, potassium, and nitrogen) has shown promise in enhancing surface interactions and facilitating the diffusion process through increased availability of active sites, thereby demonstrating the potential for improved storage capabilities. The electrochemical performance of these waste-derived carbon materials is evaluated across various configurations and electrolytes. Challenges and future directions are identified, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of the microstructural characteristics that influence electrochemical performance and advocating for interdisciplinary research to achieve precise control over material properties. This review contributes to advancing electrode material technology and promotes environmental sustainability by repurposing industrial waste into valuable resources for energy storage. It underscores the potential of waste-derived carbon materials in sustainably meeting global energy storage demands.

The requirement of concentrated carbon dioxide (CO₂) feedstock significantly limits the economic feasibility of electrochemical CO₂ reduction (eCO₂R) which often involves multiple intermediate processes, including CO₂ capture, energy‐intensive regeneration, compression, and transportation. Herein, a bifunctional gas diffusion electrode (BGDE) for separation and eCO₂R from a low‐concentration CO₂ stream is reported. The BGDE is demonstrated for the selective production of ethylene (C₂H₄) by combining high‐density‐polyethylene‐derived porous carbon (HPC) as a physisorbent with polycrystalline copper as a conversion catalyst. The BGDE shows substantial tolerance to 10 vol% CO₂ exhibiting a Faradaic efficiency of ≈45% toward C₂H₄ at a current density of 80 mA cm⁻², outperforming previous reports that utilized such partial pressure (P_CO2 = 0.1 atm and above) and unaltered polycrystalline copper. Molecular dynamics simulation and mixed gas permeability assessment reveal that such selective performance is ensured by high CO₂ uptake of the microporous HPC as well as continuous desorption owing to the molecular diffusion and concentration gradient created by the binary flow of CO₂ and nitrogen (CO₂|N₂) within the sorbent boundary. Based on detailed techno‐economic analysis, it is concluded that this in situ process can be economically compelling by precluding the C₂H₄ production cost associated with the energy‐intensive intermediate steps of the conventional decoupled process.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of carbon fibers for a wide variety of applications, including automotive, aerospace, wind turbine, sporting goods, energy storage, civil engineering, and grid applications, etc. This momentum is primarily driven by the excellent mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of carbon fibers. Asphaltenes (i.e., the heavy fraction of bitumen) have recently been identified as promising low-cost precursors for developing low-cost carbon fibers that could accelerate the widespread adoption of carbon fibers in existing and new industries. Here we report on the techno-economic and life cycle assessment of asphaltene-derived carbon fiber (A-CF) production to assess its economic and climate benefits. Our techno-economic analysis indicates that the production cost can be kept below USD 9 per kg of A-CF, which is primarily due to the use of the inexpensive asphaltene precursor. Further cost reduction can be achieved by reducing the energy use of the high-temperature carbonization step, which takes up nearly 25% of the production cost. Furthermore, cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis (LCA) reveals that A-CF can offer potential climate benefits as compared to the incumbent precursors (PAN, pitch, and lignin-based CF), with the lowest global warming potential (GWP) of ∼7.46 kg CO₂-eq per kg of A-CF. Our analysis indicates that precursor (asphaltene) extraction during bitumen partial upgrading stands out as the most energy-intensive phase (32% of total A-CF production energy) and in turn dictates the net environmental impacts. Finally, a commercial scale analysis depicts that our A-CF route can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 48% compared to the combustible use of asphaltene. Moreover, the A-CF route can also displace energy-intensive PAN-based CF (P-CF) with an annual GHG reduction potential of 2081 kilo tonne CO₂-eq and 4162 kilo tonne CO₂-eq compared to P-CF if A-CF penetrates 20% and 40%, respectively of the projected global CF market in 2032.

Hard carbon (HC), an amorphous carbon‐based material, is a promising anode for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) due to its sustainability and electrochemical performance. Direct carbonization offers a simple and energy‐efficient synthesis route with relatively high initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), though often at the expense of capacity. To overcome this limitation, both pre‐treatment and post‐treatment strategies have been developed to enhance HC properties. pre‐treatment methods modify structural characteristics during synthesis by increasing structural disorder, surface activity, and defect density. In contrast, post‐treatment methods improve the electrochemical behavior of the final product, yet remain comparatively underexplored. These two approaches serve complementary functions and, when integrated, offer potential for optimizing performance. This review discusses the methodologies, benefits, limitations, and impact of various pre‐ and post‐treatment strategies for HC anodes in SIBs. Advancing understanding in this area is essential for the development of high‐performance and sustainable SIB technologies.