Abstract
To construct a polyetherimide (PEI)-reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) composite membrane with multicore-shell structure, a ternary solution was prepared and electrospun by single-nozzle electrospinning. A theoretical prediction was made for the feasibility of complete distinction of two phases. The diameters of the membrane fibers and the PEI multi-core fibrils varied with the PEI ratio and the spinning time, respectively. The tensile strength and modulus were improved to 48 MPa and 1.5 GPa, respectively. The shrinkage of the membrane was only 6.6% at 180 °C, at which temperature the commercial PE separator melted down. The reinforcement in mechanical and thermal properties is associated with multiple PEI nanofibrils oriented along the fiber axis. Indeed, the unique morphology of self-assembled multicore-shell fibers plays an important role in their properties. All in all, PEI/PVdF membranes are appropriate for a lithium-ion battery application due to their high mechanical strength, excellent thermal stability, and controllable textural properties.
Highlights
Electrospinning is one of the methods used to draw fine fibers using electrostatic force [1]
Xi − zi xi − yi where PPEI is the volume fraction of PEI-rich phase in the total mixture; xi is the equilibrated volume faction of i component in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF)-rich phase; yi is the equilibrated volume fraction of i component in PEI-rich phase; and zi is the volume fraction of i component in the working mixture
Dimensional change of the PVdF membrane started at 100 ◦ C and a significant deformation was observed from 165 ◦ C, which is the melting temperature of PVdF
Summary
Electrospinning is one of the methods used to draw fine (usually a few micrometers to nanometers) fibers using electrostatic force [1]. To compensate for such drawbacks of PVdF and integrate a reinforcing effect from the thermal/mechanical stability of PEI by a simple manufacturing process, we prepared a single-nozzle electronspun PEI/PVdF membrane with a ternary blend solution, two polymers and one solvent, using multi-core shell phase separation. Many parameters, such as the blend ratio, the molecular weight, and the chi interaction, influence the architecture of a multicore-shell structure, which would determine the membrane’s stability and performance in application. The theoretical computation by the Flory–Huggins theory brought us to generate a phase diagram describing the phase separation behavior of the solution and the desired architecture of the fiber
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