Multifunctional composites obtained from the combination of a conductive polymer with different contents of primary battery waste powders

A new multifunctional and sustainable composite material manufactured from a vinyl-acrylic resin mixed with primary battery waste (BW) powders in 5,10,15, and 20 wt% contents. The waste was obtained from a recycling company as a byproduct of the primary batteries grinding process (alkaline and zinc carbon batteries), which was mainly composed by graphite, manganese oxide, and zinc oxide. The characterization was conducted by scanning electronic microscopy, density, hardness, compression strength, x-ray diffraction and FTIR tests. Dimension stability tests were conducted in order to determine the shrinkage percentage. Sensors were built in three different electrode geometries, in order to evaluate the piezoresistivity of the developed formulations. It was found in this research that the compound with the highest BW content showed the highest modulus of elasticity, corresponding to 2.28 MPa; the shrinkage for the specimen with 0%BW was 68.37% and the specimens with BW content (5, 10, 15, and 20%BW) the shrinkage was 15.97%. The maximum conductivity was reached by the compound with 10% BW and was approximately 0.01 S/m. These results showed a promising waste derived material able to use in electronics, inexpensive, and with a very positive impact for the environment. A statistical analysis of the piezoresistivity variables of each sensor was performed using RStudio software. For resistivity, the variable that affects the sensor the most is the amount of battery residue; while for the final resistance and sensitivity, the most important variable is the geometry of the sensor. The percolation threshold is nearly to 5 wt% BW. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study developed a new composite material made from vinyl-acrylic resin and primary battery waste, showing promising mechanical properties and conductivity for electronic applications. By comparing the performance of different formulations, the optimal composition was identified, and important conclusions were drawn from the tests conducted.