The Fabrication of Solid Polymer Electrolyte from CS/PEO/NaClO₄/Fly Ash Composite

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are crucial for electrochemical devices.
• Chitosan (CS)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) composites show potential but suffer from low ionic conductivity.
• Fly ash (FA) is explored as a cost-effective filler to enhance SPE performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel SPEs based on CS/PEO composites incorporating fly ash.
• To investigate the effect of fly ash on the structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of the SPEs.
• To determine the optimal composition for enhanced ionic conductivity.

Main Methods:

• Solution casting method for composite fabrication.
• Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for interaction analysis.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for structural characterization.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology and elemental distribution.
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for conductivity measurements.

Main Results:

• FTIR confirmed interactions between CS, PEO, NaClO4, and FA.
• XRD and DSC indicated reduced crystallinity upon addition of NaClO4 and FA.
• Optimal CS:PEO:NaClO4 ratio (3:2:7.5) yielded conductivity of 1.02 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 30°C and 2.13 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 60°C.
• Incorporation of 5 wt.% FA significantly increased conductivity to 3.20 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 30°C and 4.34 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 60°C.

Conclusions:

• The fabricated CS/PEO/NaClO4/Fly ash composite SPEs exhibit improved ionic conductivity compared to those without FA.
• Fly ash acts as an effective filler, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the SPEs.
• The developed SPEs show promise for applications in electrochemical devices requiring efficient ion transport.