Alkaline Earth Metal-Modified Cellulose Triacetate: A Promising Advancement in Battery Separator Technology

Cellulose triacetate (CTA) has emerged as promising material used as separators in Zinc Silver battery due to its excellent thermal stability, high mechanical strength and good electrolyte wettability. This paper explores the modification of CTA with alkaline earth metals, specifically Mg, Ca and Ba to further enhance its properties and efficiency in Zinc Silver battery systems. Through systematic analysis and experimentation, the impact of alkaline earth metal incorporation on the structural and electrochemical performance of CTA. Employing 1:1 molar ratio of silver nitrate and each alkaline earth metal (Mg, Ca & Ba), we systematically analyzed modified CTAs using FT-IR, Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and AASs techniques. FT-IR analysis reveals notable shifts in functional group vibrations as appearance of band at 310cm-1, 301cm-1 and 353cm-1 corresponds to Mg, Ca and Ba respectively indicating successful incorporation of metals into CTA moiety. TGA analysis demonstrates enhanced thermal stability of metal modified CTA indicating its potential for reliable performance. SEM images highlights a refined morphology with enhanced interconnectivity, indicative of improved structural integrity and ion transport pathways in metal-modified CTA leading to enhance cycleability. AAS measurement confirms the presence of metal ions within the cellulose triacetate matrix amounting 2880, 3690 and 3060 ppm of Mg, Ca and Ba respectively, validating the successful modification process. Additionally, their electrochemical performance in zinc silver battery through charge-discharge profile and efficiency measurement of cell was assessed. Remarkably it is revealed that magnesium-modified CTA demonstrates superior performance among the tested metals, exhibits charge-discharge profile up to 8 cycle study having 28% efficiency, showcasing its robust stability and promising longevity for advancing battery separator technology.