Effect of Ionic Species on the Structures and Properties of Salt-Containing PEO/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

This contribution describes the preparation and characterization of PEO/montmorillonite nanocomposite gels and films containing various lithium and sodium salts. The objective is to understand how the size and diffusion abilities of different ionic species added to these systems alter the crystallinity of the polymer, and affect the mechanical properties and ionic conductivities of the solid nanocomposites. The network strength of the polymer/clay dispersions influences decisively the crystallinity of the PEO chains and the final layered texture of the solid films. The characteristics of films were investigated using a combination of techniques, such as DSC, DMA, DEA, SEM, SAXS and XRD.