Electrical properties of starch-PVA biodegradable polymer blend

Abstract

Solid polymer electrolyte films were prepared by adding different contents of potassium chloride (KCl) in a polymer matrix composed of two versatile biodegradable polymers: starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), using the solution cast method. The complexation of the added salt (KCl) with the polymer matrix was confirmed from an x-ray diffraction study (XRD). The evolution of a smooth and uniform morphology with the increasing content of KCl was confirmed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The transference number measurement established ions as the dominant charge carriers in the system. The maximum ionic conductivity ∼5.44 × 10 −5 S cm −1 at ambient conditions was obtained for the film with 1.5 wt% of KCl using complex impedance spectroscopy. The ionic conductivity and dielectric constant increased with the salt content, thus affirming the amplification in the number of charge carriers. The noteworthy aspect of the investigation is the observation of appreciable ionic conductivity at a relatively low salt content. Low values of activation energy obtained from temperaturedependent ionic conductivity could be favorable from the point of view of the application. Electric modulus studies confirmed the absence of electrode polarization effects in the polymer electrolyte films. The scaling of the electric modulus shows a distribution of relaxation times in the polymer electrolyte films. The study unveils the efficiency of the starch-PVA blend, with glycerol and citric acid as additives, as a hopeful material for preparing biodegradable solid polymer electrolyte films.

Protonic EDLC cell based on chitosan (CS): methylcellulose (MC) solid polymer blend electrolytes

“…To date, ammonium salt is used as a potential alternative of strong inorganic acids, such as sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) and phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ). The use of these acids in energy devices result in chemical degradation [23].…”

Preparation, Characterization and Dielectric Properties of Alginate-Based Composite Films Containing Lithium Silver Oxide Nanoparticles

“…The reciprocal of complex permittivity is termed an electrical modulus. It is used to study space charge dielectric relaxation, the contribution of the electrode polarization effect, and the electrical conduction mechanism ( Chandrakala et al, 2012 ; Chatterjee et al, 2015 ; Choudhary and Sengwa, 2017 ). The complex form of an electrical modulus is given by M * = M' + i M" , where M′ is the real part and M″ is the imaginary part of the modulus.…”

Structural, impedance and electrochemical double-layer capacitor characteristics of improved number density of charge carrier electrolytes employing potato starch blend polymers

“…Starch is known for its good characteristics of being easy to dissolve in water, inexpensive and biodegradable and having good film-forming ability [3,4]. In spite of its good characteristics, there are flaws associated with pure starch films such as brittleness and high water absorption that deter some electrochemical applications [5]. In order to strengthen the film-forming property of the starch, graphene oxide (GO) is used in chemical modification of the starch by blending both potato starch (PS) and GO as reported in our previous work [6].…”