Properties of the PVA-VAVTD KOH Blend as a Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Zinc Batteries

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries are promising for energy storage and portable electronic applications because of their good safety, high energy density, material abundance, low cost, and environmental friendliness. A series of alkaline gel polymer electrolytes formed from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and different amounts of terpolymer composed of butyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, and vinyl neodecanoate (VAVTD) was synthesized applying a solution casting technique. The thin films were doped with KOH 12 M, providing a higher amount of water and free ions inside the electrolyte matrix. The inclusion of VAVTD together with the PVA polymer improved several of the electrical properties of the PVA-based gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs). X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and attenuated total reflectance- Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) tests, confirming that PVA chains rearrange depending on the VAVTD content and improving the amorphous region. The most conducting electrolyte film was the test specimen 1:4 (PVA-VAVTD) soaked in KOH solution, reaching a conductivity of 0.019 S/cm at room temperature. The temperature dependence of the conductivity agrees with the Arrhenius equation and activation energy of ~0.077 eV resulted, depending on the electrolyte composition. In addition, the cyclic voltammetry study showed a current intensity increase at higher VAVTD content, reaching values of 310 mA. Finally, these gel polymer electrolytes were tested in Zn–air batteries, obtaining capacities of 165 mAh and 195 mAh for PVA-T4 and PVA-T5 sunk in KOH, respectively, at a discharge current of −5 mA.