CONDUCTIVITY COMPARISON OF SOLUTION BLENDING VERSUS MECHANICAL ALLOYING OF POLYELECTROLYTES

TaKia M. Oglesby, Hlne T. Cornlis, and Dr. R. Kander
National Science Foundation and Technology Center:
High Performance Polymeric Adhesive and Composites, and
Department of Chemistry
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this project is to compare the conductivities, morphologies, and the elastomeric properties of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) and PEO/poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP)/LiClO *4 blends created by use of mechanical alloying. That comparison is based on which process between mechanical alloying and solution blending forms blends that have better conductivity. The PEO/LiClO *4 4 to 1 ethylene oxide to lithium ion concentration exhibited an ionic conductivity of 1.7x10 **-6 S cm **-1 and a single melt peak at 189 deg. C with no phase separation in the microstructure. These results were the best received by the process of mechanical alloying under cryogenic conditions. Other blends exhibited a range of ionic conductivities from 1.7x10 **-6 to 8.4 x10 **-8 S/cm. The blends with smaller conductivities exhibited two melting peaks at approximately 70 deg. C, and 180 deg. C they also had phase seperation in their microstructures.

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