Electrochemical Performance of Solid Polymer Electrolyte PEO_(20)-LiTf-Urea_(1.5)

A new solid polymer electrolyte PEO20-LiTf-Urea1.5 was prepared by solution casting technique. The energy of frontier orbitals for the components of the electrolyte was predicted by quantum chemistry calculations, and TG stability and electrochemical features were measured. Urea exhibited a lower HOMO energy than PEO, implying its enhanced stability against electrochemical oxidation. Experimentally addition of urea increases the ionic conductivity, which guarantees conductivity requirement for lithium ion batteries. It also results in significant improved electrochemical stability with good thermal stability. Favorable lithium stripping/plating performance is yielded, and it confirms the good stability of the solid electrolyte interphase for the PEO20-LiTf-Urea1.5 system.

Fabrication and Characterization of Semi-Crystalline and Amorphous Dielectric Polymer Films for Energy Storage

Dielectric polymer films are energy storage materials that are used in pulse power operations, power electronics and sustainable energy applications. This paper reviews energy storage devices with focus on dielectric film capacitors. Two prominent examples of polymer dielectrics Polyetherimide (PEI) and Poly (tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride) (THV) have been discussed. Polyetherimide (PEI) is an amorphous polymer recognized for its high-temperature capability, low dielectric loss and high dielectric strength. THV is a semi-crystalline polymer with high dielectric constant, high-temperature capability and charge-discharge efficiency. The primary focus of this paper is to introduce the reader to the fabrication procedures and characterization techniques used in research labs for processing of dielectric polymers. The fabrication and characterization process of both polymers has been discussed in detail to shed the light on experimental process in this area of research.

CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR, THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PHBV/GRAPHENE NANOSHEET COMPOSITES

Biodegradable poly（3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate） （PHBV）/graphene nanosheet （GNS） composites were prepared via a solution-casting method at low GNS loadings in this work. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that a fine dispersion of GNSs was achieved in the PHBV matrix. The thermal properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, and the results showed that the thermal stability of PHBV was significantly improved with a very low loading of GNSs. Nonisothermal melts crystallization behavior, spherulitic morphology and crystal structure of neat PHBV and the PHBV/GNSs nanocomposites were investigated, and the experimental results indicated that crystallization behavior of PHBV was enhanced by the presence of GNSs due to the heterogeneous nucleation effect; however, the two-dimensional （2D） GNSs might restrict the mobility of the PHBV chains in the process of crystal growing. Dynamic mechanical analysis studies showed that the storage modulus of the PHBV/GNSs nanocomposites was greatly improved.