Separator Membrane from Crosslinked Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) and Poly(Methyl Vinyl Ether-alt-Maleic Anhydride).

Charu Rohatgi,Namita Choudhury,Naba Dutta

doi:10.3390/nano5020398

Abstract

In this work, we report separator membranes from crosslinking of two polymers, such as poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) with an ionic polymer poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) (PMVE-MA). Such interpolymer-networked systems were extensively used for biomedical and desalination applications but they were not examined for their potential use as membranes or separators for batteries. Therefore, the chemical interactions between these two polymers and the influence of such crosslinking on physicochemical properties of the membrane are systematically investigated through rheology and by critical gel point study. The hydrogen bonding and the chemical interaction between PMVE-MA and PVA resulted in highly cross-linked membranes. Effect of the molecular weight of PVA on the membrane properties was also examined. The developed membranes were extensively characterized by studying their physicochemical properties (water uptake, swelling ratio, and conductivity), thermal and electrochemical properties using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The DSC study shows the presence of a single Tg in the membranes indicating compatibility of the two polymers in flexible and transparent films. The membranes show good stability and ion conductivity suitable for separator applications.

Highlights

A separator is a membrane, whose main function is to keep the positive and negative electrodes apart to prevent electrical short circuits and, at the same time, allow rapid transport of ionic charge carriers by intrinsic ionic conductor [1,2]
The spectrum of poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) (PMVE-MA) shows the presence of a band at 1107 cm−1 due to cm−1 for (C–O)–C
FTIR results confirm the presence of these hydrogen bonding interactions by the appearance of two new bands at ~1600 and ~1200 cm−1 characteristic of the ester groups arising from the C=O and

Summary

Introduction

A separator is a membrane, whose main function is to keep the positive and negative electrodes apart to prevent electrical short circuits and, at the same time, allow rapid transport of ionic charge carriers by intrinsic ionic conductor [1,2]. The thin membrane performs both as a medium to transport ions during electrochemical reactions and prevents/isolates the positive and negative electrode from short circuits They should be chemically and electrochemically inert and should exhibit high mechanical integrity against the electrolyte and electrode materials during cell operation. To fabricate the separator for a lithium-based battery, the following criteria should be satisfied: (a) electronic insulator; (b) minimal electrolyte resistance (

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Results

Conclusion