A Study on the Effect of Cellulose Nanocrystalline Paper on PVA-KOH Electrolyte Membranes for Increasing Ionic Conductivity

Abstract

The enhancement of ionic conductivity and tensile strength in electrolyte membranes by nanoparticles is a key factor driving increased interest in their use. Increasing conductive and strong membranes has the same meaning for energy storage. Conductive solid electrolyte membranes are made by mixing Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), and Glycerol with the addition of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) paper. Paper NCC is made using the hydrolysis method. In this study, an increase in conductivity and tensile strength due to differences in NCC composition with variations of 0 g, 1 g, 3 g, and 5 g in the electrolyte membrane was observed. The test results show that the highest conductivity of 0.0512 S.cm-1 was obtained from 3 g NCC according to the membrane test results. The addition of NCC weighing 5 g resulted in the highest tensile strength, namely 6.91 MPa. Furthermore, the addition of 5 g of NCC resulted in the largest energy production of 0.000188 W/cm2. The inclusion of NCC in the PVA-KOH membrane was found to increase the tensile strength and ionic conductivity of the electrolyte membrane. The results show that the incorporation of NCC increases the conductivity and strength of the membrane, thereby showing its potential for use in the future development of aluminum air batteries.