SYNTHESIS OF SOLID ELECTROLYTE/ION-EXCHANGE MEMBRANE BASED ON SULFONATED POLYISOPRENE OF NATURAL RUBBER FOR POSSIBLE APPLICATION IN LITHIUM-ION BATTERY

Solid Electrolyte/Ion-Exchange Membrane was synthesized from sulfonated natural rubber (NR) for application in lithium-ion batteries. The separator was synthesized using chlorosulfuric acid as the sulfonating agent. The Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX) revealed that the membrane was highly porous and had high yarn-like arrangements; its water uptake (WU) was 16.6%, which demonstrated there is a robust attraction between the solid electrolyte/ion-exchange membrane and water molecules, having an ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 0.005632 mol/g and a degree of sulfonation (DS) of 8.468590%. The EDX mapping confirms that sulfonation occurred in the natural rubber with a substantial amount of sulfur and carbon. The porous and spongy structure throughout the surface area of the membrane indicates promising material for application in lithium-ion batteries.