Synthesis and characterization of alkaline polyvinyl alcohol and poly(epichlorohydrin) blend polymer electrolytes and performance in electrochemical cells

Alkaline SPE was obtained from a blend of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly(epichlorohydrin) (PECH), PVA-PECH, by a solution-cast technique. The PVA host polymer is blended with PECH polymer to provide a polymer electrolyte with improved chemical and mechanical properties. The ionic conductivity of the PVA-PECH polymer electrolytes is between 10(-2) and 10(-3) S cm(-1) at room temperature when the blend ratio is varied from 1:0.2 to 1: 1. The PVA-PECH polymer was characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, stress-strain test, cyclic voltammetry, and a.c. impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the polymer electrolytes exhibit good mechanical strength and excellent chemical stability. The electrochemical performance of solid-state Zn-air batteries with various types of the blended polymer electrolyte films is examined by a galvanostatic discharge method. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.