CONFIRMED: EAS Doctoral Proposal Defense by Parya Teymoory
Date: Monday, February 10, 2025 Time: 3pm Topic: Exploring Rheological Behavior and Interfacial Properties in Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Supercapacitor Location: SENG 110 Abstract: Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and their composites are promising candidates for energy storage applications, including flexible and structural supercapacitors and batteries, due to their safety, stability, and mechanical robustness. However, their limited processability and low interfacial capacitance compared to liquid electrolytes present significant challenges for large-scale implementation. This study aims to address these limitations by investigating the rheological behavior, interfacial properties in SPEs. The processability, of SPE composites with various filers and salt which can be evaluated through rheology tests. This study evaluates how these factors influence the flow and deformation of SPEs under various shear rates and temperatures near and above their melting points. The insights gained will improve the processability of SPEs, enabling their integration into scalable manufacturing techniques like thermal drawing and injection molding. The interfacial capacitance of SPE is less understood in the literature. The mechanisms leading to lower capacitance with SPE compared to liquid electrolyte are still unclear. Experiments will investigate how polymer molecular structures affect the electric double layer (EDL) and capacitance at the SPE-electrode interface. By melting SPEs above their melting point to achieve smooth contact with planar electrodes, this work examines how crystalline and amorphous regions of polymers impact charging dynamics and the equilibrium EDL structure. Additionally, this research explores the role of effective contact area between SPEs and flat electrodes. The relationship between viscoelastic behavior, such as viscosity, and interfacial properties like wetting, adhesion, and surface roughness and energy will be examined. By correlating these properties, the study seeks to establish a framework for designing SPEs with enhanced wettability, adhesion, and interfacial performance. By bridging these knowledge gaps, this study seeks to advance the development of SPEs with enhanced performance and scalability for next-generation energy storage devices. ADVISOR(S): Dr. Caiwei Shen, Department of Mechanical Engineering (cshen2@umassd.edu) COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Dr. Maricris Mayes, Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry Dr. Vijaya Chalivendra, Department of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Hangjian Ling, Department of Mechanical Engineering NOTE: All EAS Students are ENCOURAGED to attend.
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Engineering and Applied Sciences
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