Upcycling Expired Silicone Sealants into High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Sustainable Energy Harvesting and Smart Infrastructure Safety Systems

Abstract

The present study addresses the industrial waste management of nonbiodegradable expired/waste silicone sealants (SS) through triboelectric nanogenerator technology (TENG). It explores the upcycling of waste SS as a frictional layer in a TENG to harness mechanical energy for sustainable applications. Among all the fabricated TENG devices, the SS-fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) frictional pair generated a maximum Voc of 320V and Isc of 145μA, with an instantaneous power density of 5.7W/m2. The device demonstrated excellent stability over 4000 cycles, allowing reliable operation in powering 240 light emitting diodes (LEDs), four LED lamps, and portable electronic devices such as calculators and digital watches through a charged capacitor. Finally, the SS-FEP TENG was utilized in a rail switch sensor system to monitor switch movements and provide real-time track status for enhanced rail safety.