Enhancing the Properties of Neyveli Lignite Through Gamma Irradiation for the Fabrication of a Supercapacitor Electrode

Gamma irradiation (GI) of carbon‐based polymers increases defects in the carbon matrix, thereby increasing porosity and enhancing charge storage and transfer. Utilising coal as a precursor for carbon materials is an attractive strategy that enriches coal with new value‐added properties. This work focuses on gamma‐irradiated Neyveli Lignite, a raw material used to prepare supercapacitor electrodes. The GI modifies the raw coal structure, composition, and morphological properties, as evidenced by IR, XRD, SEM, XPS, and TGA. The conversion of raw Neyveli lignite into a value‐added coal is confirmed. This transformation occurs through the removal of volatile components integrated into the coal matrix. As the sulphur content in Neyveli lignite is also reduced during transformation, gamma‐irradiated coal is used as a raw material for fabricating supercapacitor electrodes, and its performance is compared with that of raw coal. The specific capacitance values obtained in this study using CV and GCD are in close agreement, indicating high material quality and the reliable measurements. This consistency highlights its potential as a technologically viable material for developing energy storage devices.