"Researchers have found a new purpose for the gum of a tree native to India that could save electric vehicle owners money.
They’re using it to extend the lives of supercapacitors, battery-like devices that often power clean energy alternatives such as EVs. The authors of a new study published in Energy Storage Materials say that combining the tree gum with a chemical compound can help conventional supercapacitors maintain their charge.
Cochlospermum gossypium is a tree species native to India. It secretes a product called kondagogu gum, which, aside from a few medicinal properties, has no real use. Jun Young Cheong of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, a co-author of the study, said the trees “are actually a bit of a headache for the Indian government to dispose of,” as relayed by Tech Xplore. "