From Clothing to Batteries
From Clothing to Batteries: Textile Waste, Reuse and the Changing Value of Discarded Garments
Lead Supervisor: Ana Sobrido • Website • Email
Degree Programme: PhD Materials Science
Co-Supervisors:
Michael Jie (School of Physical and Chemical Sciences)
Sianne Gordon-Wilson (Queen Mary Business School)
Project Description
Discarded clothing is often seen as waste, yet it can provide a source of carbon for electrodes in batteries and other energy-storage devices. This creates an opportunity to connect textile waste with the development of sustainable energy materials. However, it also raises a question: does knowing that old clothing can become a battery material encourage responsible collection and reuse, or make people more comfortable discarding garments earlier?
This interdisciplinary PhD will investigate both the technical potential of converting textile waste into battery electrodes and the ways this transformation changes how people value unwanted clothing. Bringing together materials science and humanities approaches, it will explore how garments acquire, lose and regain value as they move from clothing to waste and, potentially, to energy-storage materials.
The experimental research will examine selected textile waste streams, including natural fibres and blended fabrics, to establish how their composition influences processing and electrode performance. Thermal and microwave-assisted processing will be explored as routes to carbon materials. The resulting electrodes will be characterised and tested in suitable battery systems, linking textile composition and processing conditions to structure, conductivity and electrochemical behaviour. Attention will be given to processing requirements, material recovery and the challenges posed by dyes, finishes and mixed fibres.
Alongside this work, the project will investigate attitudes towards clothing reuse, collection and technological recycling through interviews, workshops and engagement activities. Historical and cultural perspectives on repair, reuse and disposal will help contextualise contemporary responses. Participants will be invited to consider when clothing should remain in use and when conversion into another material becomes appropriate. Demonstrations of textile-derived electrodes will provide a tangible basis for discussing whether new recycling possibilities influence perceptions of waste and responsibility.
By connecting laboratory findings with social and cultural insights, the project will identify opportunities and tensions in turning discarded garments into battery materials. It will produce evidence on promising textile feedstocks and processing routes, alongside recommendations for communicating textile valorisation without undermining repair and reuse. The wider ambition is to support approaches to textile waste that account for technical performance, environmental implications and the meanings people attach to clothing.
What we're looking for in a student
We seek a curious, motivated student interested in materials science, sustainability and the social and cultural dimensions of textile waste. Relevant degrees include materials science, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. Experience in laboratory work, textile recycling or qualitative research is welcome. A willingness to learn and work across disciplines, including the application of mixed-methods consumer behaviour research, is essential.
Training will cover textile processing, carbon preparation, electrode fabrication, materials characterisation and electrochemical testing, alongside workshops, thematic analysis and research ethics. The student will develop public engagement and interdisciplinary communication skills, with access to relevant processing, characterisation and electrochemical facilities at QMUL’s School of Engineering and Materials Science, the Green Energy Hub and training through the doctoral programme.
Key words: • Textile waste valorisation • Sustainable battery materials • Clothing reuse • Consumer behaviour • Circular economy