Nanocomposites of modified sepiolite and polyethylene oxide as basis for solid polymer electrolytes

The main objective of this Thesis has been the preparation of thermoplastic solid electrolytes based on polyethylene oxide and sepiolite, with Li⁺ conductivity close to that of a chemically analogous liquid and dimensional stability for long periods of time at the operation temperature range. A main tool for achieving this objective is the adequate surface modification of sepiolite, to make it able to act as physical crosslinking sites in the electrolyte. In addition the materials have to be prepared by industrially scalable processing aids, and hence the need for sufficient thermal stability and thermoplasticity.