Old jeans turned into battery material for lithium-sulfur cells

Researchers in China converted discarded denim into a carbon cloth that improved lithium-sulfur battery performance and could help cut textile waste. The study, published Sept. 2, 2026 in Green Chemical Engineering, points to a low-cost material that may support next-generation energy storage.

Why it matters: - Discarded denim could become a useful input for cleaner energy storage instead of landfill waste. - The material may help make lithium-sulfur batteries more practical by improving performance and lowering cost. - The work links textile recycling with battery materials, two areas facing pressure to cut waste and improve sustainability.

What happened: - Researchers converted waste denim into HPC950 carbon cloth for use in lithium-sulfur batteries. - The study was published in Green Chemical Engineering on Sept. 2, 2026. - The work was conducted in China.

The details: - The process heated waste denim to 950°C. - The denim’s cotton fibers became a porous carbon cloth. - The structure helped hold sulfur in place inside the battery. - The material also helped control ion movement. - The battery kept stable performance over 230 charge-discharge cycles. - The test included high sulfur loading. - In a demonstration, the battery powered 33 LED lights for 40 minutes without a noticeable performance drop. - Li-S batteries are attractive for next-generation storage because sulfur is low-cost and has high energy density. - Li-S development has been limited by sulfur’s poor electrical conductivity and the shuttle effect, which moves sulfur compounds within the battery.

Between the lines: - The approach could give waste denim a higher-value use than downcycling or disposal. - The simple process may make scaling easier than more complex battery-material methods. - The result suggests carbon from textile waste can serve as a functional battery component, not just a recycled filler. - Green Chemical Engineering describes itself as an international, peer-reviewed journal focused on sustainable chemistry and chemical engineering. - The journal is indexed in ESCI, EI, Scopus and CSCD. - The journal reports an Impact Factor of 11.9 (JCR Q1) and a CiteScore of 18.5.

What's next: - Researchers plan further testing in battery systems designed for everyday use. - Future work will need to show whether the denim-based material can perform reliably in practical commercial conditions. - If scalable, the process could support both textile waste reduction and lower-cost battery development. - Read the full article