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A Facile and Eco-friendly Route to Fabricate PolyLactic Acid Scaffolds with Graded Pore Size
Published on: October 17, 2016
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Interconnected channels through polypropylene and cellulose acetate by utilizing lactic acid for stable separators
So Hee Kim1, Sang Wook Kang1,2
1Department of Chemistry, Sangmyung University, Seoul 03016, Republic of Korea. swkang@smu.ac.kr.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|September 6, 2021
Summary
This study presents an eco-friendly cellulose acetate (CA) separator combined with a polypropylene (PP) film. The novel method creates a durable, porous film with controlled pore sizes for potential applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Developing advanced battery separators is crucial for energy storage safety and performance.
- Existing separators often face limitations in cost, environmental impact, or thermal stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate an eco-friendly and cost-effective cellulose acetate (CA) separator.
- To develop a novel method for creating a single, integrated film by combining CA with a polypropylene (PP) film.
- To investigate the structural and thermal properties of the novel composite separator.
Main Methods:
- Coating a CA solution onto a PP film using a doctor blade.
- Applying water treatment to the polymer composite to induce pore formation and bonding.
- Incorporating lactic acid into the CA solution as a plasticizer to enhance pore generation.
- Utilizing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for material characterization and binding confirmation.
- Employing Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) to assess the thermal stability of the composite film.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated a composite separator integrating CA and PP films.
- Achieved interconnected pore formation on the CA side with an average pore size below 1 μm.
- Confirmed the successful binding of CA onto the PP film using FT-IR and SEM.
- Demonstrated the plasticizing effect of lactic acid in promoting abundant pore formation.
- Measured the thermal stability of the composite separator using TGA.
Conclusions:
- A novel, eco-friendly, and inexpensive composite separator made from cellulose acetate and polypropylene has been successfully developed.
- The fabrication method, involving doctor blading, water treatment, and lactic acid plasticization, effectively creates a porous structure with controlled pore sizes and good thermal stability.
- This composite separator shows promise for applications requiring advanced material properties and sustainable manufacturing.
