APPLICATIONS OF EXCHANGED MONTMORILLONITE AS PROTONIC SOLID-ELECTROLYTE

Temperature dependences for conductivity of an Algerian montmorillonite was studied in comparison with various ion exchanges. By using conductivity measurements, activation energies for ion transport were determined. The obtained values for conductivity and activation energy are similar to those of some protonic conductors. Electrical parameters were extracted from impedance spectra and correlated to the water content (from Thermogravimetric Analysis results, TGA) and to dehydration energy (from Differential Thermic Analysis results, DTA). A protonic conduction is assumed to be under protonic translocation mode, via a translocation chain. Zinc and sodium exchanged montmorillonite were used as solid electrolyte in, respectively, an ''all solid'' battery and an ''all solid'' pH sensor.