Preparation and characterization of sepiolite and poliethylene oxide nanocomposites

Polyethylene oxide (PEO)/sepiolite nanocomposites, with concentrations up to 40% sepiolite, were prepared and characterized with the aim of constituting, subsequently, the starting material for ionic (Li ion) and mass transport membranes. An experimental procedure has been optimised which produces nanocomposite PEO/sepiolite materials which show excellent transparencies up to filler levels of a 40 wt% because of the optimum filler dispersion. Additionally these materials behave as pseudosolids at temperatures well above the PEO melting point, even with filler ratios as little as a 5 wt%. This set of characteristics makes these NCPs materials of great interest for, among other aims, the development of transport membranes.