Different applications of the polymer nanocomposites in energy applications such as batteries, capacitors, supercapacitors, etc..

1. ENERGY APPLICATIONS OF POLYMER
NANOCOMPOSITES
Presented by,
Vishal K. P.
Dept. of PS&RT
CUSAT

2. •The need of development of sustainable and renewable energy
storage devices
•High energy density, high power density, high dielectric constant
and dielectric strength:- Properties to be achieved for an excellent
energy storage device
•Dielectric materials store and release electrical energy
electrostatically through dielectric polarization and
depolarization by the application and removal of an electric field
•Polymers have high dielectric strength, but they bear only low
energy density
INTRODUCTION

3. NANOCOMPOSITE APPOROACH
•The energy density of polymers can be increased by making it as
nanocomposites
•Nanocomposites have a potential of combining high dielectric strength,
low dielectric loss of polymers with the high dielectric constant of filler
materials like ceramics
•The compatibility of the fillers in the polymer matrix can be improved
by coating the nanofiller by a material of moderate dielectric permittivity

4. ENERGY STORAGE
DEVICES
BATTERIES
CAPACITORS
SUPER
CAPACITORS
FUEL CELLS

5. BATTERIES
•An important application for PNCs is lithium-ion batteries.
•With advantages of high working voltage, high capacity, low toxicity and
long cycling life
•Most important and widely used rechargeable batteries
•The ICP’s have high redox reaction kinetics than conventional electrode
materials
•ICP’s are coated on to the electrodes or even nanomaterials are
incorporated in to polymers to be used as electrodes
High energy density, but low power density

6. COMPOSITE ELECTROLYTES AND
SEPERATORS
•High risk organic electrolytes can be replaced by ion conducting
polymers which are leak-free, light weight and flexible
•Polymers with large amount of ionizable groups-Polyelectrolytes
•Solid Polymer Electrolyte: Ionically conducting solution of a salt(Li+X-)in
polymer matrix(PEO, PAN, PMMA, etc.)
•Polymer composite electrolytes consists of a polymer matrix, fillers(to
improve ion conductivity), and Lithium Salts.

7. COMPOSITE ELECTRODES
ACTIVE MATERIALS
Determines capacity of the
electrodes(Silicon)
CONDUCTIVE ADDITIVES
Improves the capacity of
electrodes by conducting
electrons
CURRENT COLLECTORS POLYMER BINDERS
Metals like Aluminium,
Copper
Binds active materials and
conducting additives together
to current collector(PVA,
PVDF,..)

8. SUPER CAPACITORS
•Two electrical conducting plates which holds
opposite charges separated by an insulator which
creates an electric field is called a Capacitor.
•A Supercapacitor have plates with larger effective
area and lesser distance between them.
•High power density and low energy density than
batteries
•Charges and discharges rapidly limiting its
application to only short term energy storage
systems.
capacitor
supercapacitor

9. TYPES OF SUPERCAPACITORS
Electric Double Layer Capacitors(EDLC)
Electrical charge storage/release is based on ion adsorption/desorption
at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The main electrode materials for
EDLCs are from carbon materials including activated carbons (ACs), CNTs,
etc.
Energy storage occurs by electron transfer that follows reduction-
oxidation (redox) reactions in the material. The main electrode
materials are transition meal oxides and ICP’s.
Pseudocapacitors
Carbon nanomaterials filled ICP’s: Increased electrical conductivity,
enhanced mechanical strength, and cycling stability

10. FUEL CELLS
•Fuel cells converts chemical energy of fuel and an oxidizing agent
into electric energy through a pair of redox reactions
•Fuel cells making use of a polymer electrolyte is known as
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells
•The polymer electrolyte membrane acts as separator between
electrodes and determines performance of the fuel cell
•Fuel Cells work optimally at higher temperatures and low
humidity
•The deterioration of performance at higher acidification of the
polymer is overcome by incorporating nanofillers.
•The nanofillers adsorbs water molecules and store it in the voids
and thus helps in lower humidity operations

11. WORKING OF FUEL CELLS

12. REFERENCES:
1. C Yang et al., Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2015, 1-30
2. Riggs et al., Materials Today: Proceedings, 2015, 2, 3853-3863
3. Shen et al., National Science Review, 2017, 4
4. Ferrari et al., Polymer based nanocomposites for energy and
environmental applications, 2018, 283-313
5. Yong et al., Carbon-based polymer nanocomposites for
environmental and enrygy applications, 2018, 536-557

13. THANK YOU