The Mixed Ion Effect on Ion Aggregation in Ionomers
Open Access
- Author:
- Kazour, Mark
- Area of Honors:
- Chemical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Janna Kay Maranas, Thesis Supervisor
Ali Borhan, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Batteries
Chemical Engineering
Sodium
Polymer
Battery
Polymers
Salts
Lithium
Material Science
Polymer Science
Electrolyte
Aggregation
Ionomers
Poly(ethylene) Oxide
Electrochemistry
Energy
Green Energy
Environmentally Friendly
Energy Storage
Environment
Mass Transport
Electric Car
Glass Transition
Ion Transport
Solid Polymer Electrolyte
Conductivity
Green Alternative
Engineering
PEO
SPE
Amorphous
Crystalline
Crystal
Mechanical Strength
Ions
Percolation
Stability
Mixed Salt
Sodium Perchlorate
Sodium Iodide - Abstract:
- Lithium ion batteries are fundamental battery technology utilized in numerous portable electronic applications. Organic liquid electrolytes within electrochemical cells present toxicity and flammability concerns. As a result, hard casings surround batteries, reducing design flexibility. Progress in improving cycle-life and lifetime, critical for electric vehicle applications, remains slow. Finally, lithium demand for battery applications will overcome supply by 2023. Research in battery technology focuses on four primary areas: efficient storage capacities, minimal production and disposal costs, effective charge and long lifetimes. In order to make significant progress in these areas, a fundamental change in electrolyte composition is required. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) for sodium-ion battery applications presents a viable solution. By providing a solid-state polymer solution, safety concerns and hard casings are removed, allowing for more design flexibility and decreasing manufacturing costs. Sodium salts present an abundant alternative to lithium salts. Batteries become more environmentally friendly with a non-volatile polymer solvent. The challenge presented by SPE technology is their low room temperature conductivity, on orders of 10-7 to 10-4 S/cm. One of the most common host polymers, and the one used in this study, is poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). PEO is chosen for its low Tg, non-flammable, non-toxic, solid-state properties. Cation transport within the PEO backbone is the focus of this study. Ion coordination within PEO provides mechanical stability but reduces cation transport. This study will evaluate decoupling mechanical stability and ion transport through aggregation mechanisms in mixed anion environments. The concentrations of weak and strong interacting salts will be varied. Their mechanical and conductive properties will be evaluated for each polymer-salt co-crystal.