Sodium ion conducting blended solid polymer electrolytes: Ion conduction and solid-state battery fabrication

Abstract

The present paper describes the ion conduction mechanism and solid-state battery fabrication of a new sodium (Na⁺) ion-conducting blended solid polymer electrolytes (BSPEs): (1-x) [70PEO:30NaCl] + x PVP where 0 ≤ x ≤ 15 wt.%. A recently established hot-press process has been used to synthesize the present BSPEs. The composition: 98(70PEO:30NaCl) + 2PVP yielded the highest ionic conductivity (σ ~ 3.7×10^− 5 S.cm^-1). Polymer salt/PVP complexation has been studied with the help of x-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Measurements of ionic conductivity (σ), ionic mobility (µ), mobile ion concentration (n), ionic transference number (t_ion), and ionic drift velocity (v_d) have all been used to elucidate the process of ion conduction. A solid-state polymer battery has been fabricated by using the highest ionic conductivity composition of BSPE. Solid-state battery characteristics have been investigated at room temperature under various load conditions.