Additive Manufacturing Polyurethane Acrylate via Stereolithography for 3D Structure Polymer Electrolyte Application

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D-printing, offers versatile fabrication capabilities across various scientific fields.
• Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are crucial components in advanced energy storage devices, requiring efficient and scalable production methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a polyurethane acrylate (PUA)-based gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) using stereolithography (SLA) 3D-printing.
• To characterize the electrochemical and thermal properties of the 3D-printed PUA GPE.
• To demonstrate the potential of SLA for fabricating complex electrolyte structures for battery applications.

Main Methods:

• Stereolithography (SLA) 3D-printing was employed to fabricate PUA-based GPEs.
• Comprehensive characterization included Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• The 3D-printed PUA GPE achieved a high ionic conductivity of 1.24 × 10^-3 S cm^-1 at 10 wt.% lithium salt content and ambient temperature.
• The material exhibited favorable thermal stability up to approximately 300 °C.
• FTIR analysis confirmed the interaction between LiClO₄ and the polymer matrix, with deconvolution indicating the highest concentration of free ions at 10 wt.%.

Conclusions:

• SLA 3D-printing is a viable method for producing PUA-based GPEs with excellent ionic conductivity and thermal stability.
• The study highlights the potential of this technology for creating customized, complex electrolyte structures for next-generation batteries.