Dr. Ahmed Osman, the researchers devised a process that begins with the grain getting dried out. A two-stage chemical and heat treatment follows, which utilizes phosphoric acid and then a potassium hydroxide wash – both chemicals are quite inexpensive.
What's left behind is activated charcoal, which could find use in applications such as heating fuel in homes, barbecue briquettes, or water filters. In lab tests, 1 kg (2.2 lb) of grain was sufficient to create enough carbon to cover "100 football pitches."
The technique can also be utilized to create carbon nanotubes, which – among other things – are being incorporated into better batteries, transistors, and even artificial muscles.