UNSW turns peanut shells into high-quality graphene
Feb 26th 2026
A UNSW team has developed a two-step, chemical-free heating technique that turns peanut-shell waste into single-layer graphene in minutes, potentially cutting costs and using other plant waste as feedstock.
- UNSW engineers led by Professor Guan Yeoh published a chemical-free method in Chemical Engineering Journal Advances that converts peanut-shell waste into graphene.
- The process uses the shells' lignin content, first heating them to about 500°C for five minutes to produce a carbon-rich char.
- The char is then subjected to flash joule heating that raises temperature to around 3000°C for milliseconds to form single-layer graphene.
- The whole method takes roughly 10 minutes, uses no added chemicals, and UNSW estimates energy costs at about US$1.30 per kilogram of graphene.
- Researchers have produced only small quantities so far but say commercial-scale development could be possible within three to four years.
- The team says the technique could be applied to other lignin-rich biomass such as coffee grounds or banana peels for sustainable graphene production.