SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF A CATION-CONDUCTING, HIGH-TEMPERATURE POLYMER ELECTROLYTE

A new class of polymer electrolyte, high temperature polymer electrolytes, as an electrolyte in high discharge rate batteries is Proposed. As an initial effort in the development of these materials, sodium and lithium salts of sulfonated poly(p-phenyleneterephtalamide) have been prepared. DSC and electrical conductivity studies have been performed on these films. The conductivity exhibits Arrhenius behavior over the temperature range in which they are thermally stable (180-240-degrees-C) with the material containing sodium being more conductive than those containing lithium. Although the electrical performance of these materials is inadequate from a practical standpoint, it is suggested that with additional development these materials could function as electrolytes for high discharge rate batteries.