Carbon from dried human urine has been extracted for use in chemical fuel cells.
These cells traditionally use platinum as a catalyst, which is extremely expensive, but according to research published in Nature, carbonised urine is a good conductor of electricity and the byproducts of the drying process can be used as a de-icing agent.
The scientists from Korea University used urine from healthy individuals, heating it to between 700 and 1,000C in order to carbonise the urine. The research suggests that urine could be a cheap alternative for fuel cell production.
Read more at Korea University