engleski

Irradiated Poly(ethylene oxide) for Preparation of Polyelectrolytes and Nanocomposites

Poly(ethylene-oxide), PEO based solid electrolytes are gaining significance so improvement of their electrical and/or mechanical properties is increasingly important. PEO is semi crystalline polymer and ion transport is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude faster in the amorphous phase so stable PEO films with high amorphous content and low melting temperatures are preferred. That can be achieved by crosslinking that can preferably be induced by ionising radiation because it is homogeneous throughout sample, initiation rate is independent of temperature, can be varied by varying dose rate, etc. Depending on the irradiation conditions, deterioration of order preparation can occur due to degradation of PEO that has to be avoided. The presented results are a part of the ongoing research on the optimisation of irradiation conditions. The samples were 60Co gamma-irradiated PEO powder irradiated to various doses, (PEO)8ZnCl2 polyelectrolytes, prepared of both unirradiated PEO and PEO, and nanocomposites prepared by addition TiO2 nanograins. The changes in thermal properties and in morphology were monitored in temperature range from below the room temperature to 100 &ordm ; ; C. Depending on the dose, reduction of spherulite size and decrease of temperature and heat fusion/crystallization was determined. The changes depended on the dose to which the PEO was irradiated. The temperature dependence of conductivity of polyelectrolytes and nanocomposites was also measured and the room conductivities between 10-3 to 10-4 (Ω cm)-1 were achieved. Addition of nanograins increased conductivity more than can be ascribed just to crystallinity reduction, possibly because of interactions of anion with nanograins. The changes in thermal behaviour and in morphology of PEO were in excellent correlation to conductivity changes of corresponding polyelectrolytes and nanocomposites so can be used to predict its properties.

polelectrolytes; nanocomposites; gamma-irradiation

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