That’s some hairbrained scheme

Hair is nature’s coolest but weirdest accessory, an evolutionary holdover with a purpose that seems purely aesthetic.

But human hair could also power the batteries of the future, thanks to a revolutionary breakthrough from researchers at Charles Sturt University.

Using conductors that create intense heat in ultrashort bursts, Dr Amandeep Singh Pannu and his team have developed a process for turning human hair clippings into graphite.

They used the graphite to power lithium-ion batteries, the devices that run seemingly everything these days from smartphones to electric vehicles.

Call it hair power. With more than three-quarters of global graphite stocks coming from China, the idea that the mineral could instead be sourced abundantly and easily from the floor of the barber shop or hairdressing salon has the potential to up-end the worldwide supply chain, if the team’s method can be replicated at an industrial scale. Dr Singh is confident it will be.

“(Graphite) costs around $3000-$4000 per tonne. We are thinking we can convert the material for $300 Australian per tonne. This is achievable because it is not a labour-intensive process,” he said.

Traditional methods for the refining of mined graphite also require the use of highly polluting hydrofluoric acid, whereas converting human hair into graphite was “an incredibly clean source right through the entire process, with very minimal pollutants or negative outputs,” Dr Singh said.

It took about 1kg of clippings to produce about 500-600g of graphite, Dr Singh said. But the colour and style were irrelevant. Blond, brunette, curly, straight – the graphite they produce is the same. Even pet hair could be used.

Main picture: Max Mason-Hubers Chris Hunter cuts the hair of Bridgette Birchall at his salon in Sydney’s Woollahra, where they are excited about the idea of turning clippings into graphite; and (above) Dr Amandeep Singh Pannu.