Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Electrical, structural, and optical characterization of coal ash–PEO/PMMA blend composites

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Ionics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the present work, indigenous coal ash taken from Sharigh, Balochistan, Pakistan was used to prepare polymer electrolyte films with PEO/PMMA/LiClO4. Coal ash was first characterized by various techniques like Surface and Porosity Analysis, SEM/energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and XRD. Chemical composition of ash was confirmed by EDX. Then, the utility of coal ash towards fabricating PEO/PMMA/LiClO4/coal ash composites was studied in order to explore its use as an additive for polymeric blend composites. The ash incorporation into the polymeric blend composites was studied by X-ray diffraction and UV/Visible spectroscopy, while ionic conductivity measurements were undertaken by Impedance spectroscopy. Room temperature conductivity of polymeric blend composites was found to increase sharply with ash content and reached maximum at 3.3 wt.% of ash. Both direct and indirect band gap energies of polymeric blend decreased with coal ash incorporation. The decrease was at peak at 3.3 wt.% of ash. Coal ash has found to improve the performance of polymeric blends.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Selley J (1988) Encyclopedia of polymer science and engineering. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  2. Editorial (2011) Polymer electrolytes: present, past and future. Electrochim Acta 57:4–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Di Notto V, Boaretto N, Negro E, Stallworth EP, Lavina S, Giffin AG, Greenbaum GS (2012) Inorganic/organic membranes based on Nafion, [(ZrO2). (HfO2)0.25] and [(SiO2). (HfO2)0.28] nanoparticles. Part II: relaxations and conductivity mechanism. Int J Hydrog Energ 37:6215–6227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Fan W, Zhang Y (1997) Chinese coal industry-gearing up for the 21st century. J Mines Metals Fuels 45:321–325

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ghose MK (2009) Technological challenges for boosting coal production with environmental sustainability. Environ Monit Assess 154:373–381

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mishra UC (2004) Environmental impact of coal industry and thermal power plants in India. J Environ Radioact 72:35–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. http://scienceray.com/technology/industry/the-uses-of-coal-ash (2012) Accessed on 5 Sept 2012

  8. Saroja Devi M, Murugesan V, Rengaraj K, Anand P (1998) Utilization of flyash as filler for unsaturated polyester resin. J Appl Polym Sci 69:1385–1391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Saeed K, Ishaq M, Ilyas M (2011) Preparation, morphology, and thermo mechanical properties of coal ash/polyethylene oxide composites. Turk J Chem 35:237–243

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Manoj R, Kunjomana B (2010) Chemical solubilization of coal using HF and characterization of products by FTIR, FT Raman, SEM and elemental analysis. J Miner Mat Char Eng 9:919–928

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chen Y, Shah N, Huggins F, Huffman PG (2005) Characterization of fine and ultrafine fly ash by electron microscopy techniques. World of Coal Ash (WOCA), Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Google Scholar 

  12. Yueqin Q, Qin Z, Yingzhong T, Jie Z, Jianxin C, Tiancun X (2011) Composition and structure of Luxing coal with different particles sizes. Petroleum and Coal 53:45–55

    Google Scholar 

  13. Saikia BK, Boruah RK, GoGoi PK (2007) FT-IR and XRD analysis of coal from Makum coalfield of Assam. J Earth Syst Sci 116:575–579

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Saikia BK, Boruah RK, GoGoi PK (2007) XRD and FT-IR investigation of sub-bituminous Assam coals. Bull Mater Sci 30:421–426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Pervaiz MR, Mohanty S, Nayak SK, Mahanwar PA (2010) Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites reinforced with fly ash and mica. J Miner Mat Char Eng 9:25–41

    Google Scholar 

  16. Han DG, Choi GM (1998) Impedance spectra for a 2-D conductor insulator composite by computer simulation. Solid State Ionics 106:71–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Golodnitsky D, Ardel G, Peled E (2000) Ion-transport phenomena in concentrated PEO-based composite polymer electrolytes. Solid State Ionics 147:141–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Baurle JE (1969) Study of solid electrolyte polarization by a complex admittance method. J Phys Chem Solids 30:2657–2670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Brug GJ, Van den Eeden ALG, Sluyters-Rehbach M, Sluyters JH (1984) The analysis of electrode impedance complicated by the presence of a constant phase element. J Electroanal Chem Interfacial Electrochem 176:275–295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bellucci F, Valentino M, Monetta T, Nicodemo L, Kenny J, Nicolais L, Mijovic J (1994) Impedance spectroscopy of reactive polymers 1. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 32:2519–1527

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Dabrowska A, Wieczorek W (1994) Conductivity and phase structure of blend based proton polymeric electrolytes 1: complexes with phosphoric acid. Mater Sci Eng: B 22:107–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Zen JM, Ilangovan G, Jou JJ (1999) Square-wave voltammetric determination and ac impedance study of dopamine on pre anodized perfluorosulfonated ionomer-coated glassy carbon electrodes. Anal Chem 71:2797–2805

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Feloni P, Mastragostino M, Meneghello L (1996) Impedance analysis of electronically conducting polymers. Electrochem Acta 41:27–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sung HY, Wang YY, Ewan CC (1998) Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate)-based gel electrolytes for Li-ion batteries. J Electrochem Soc 145:1207–1211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Watanabe M, Togo M, Sanui K, Ogata N, Kobayashi T, Ohtaki Z (1985) Ionic conductivity and mobility of poly (propylene oxide) networks dissolving alkali metal thiocyanate. Polym J 17:549–555

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Narayan H, Montano AM, Hernandez ML, Hernandez J, Gonzalez CP, Ortiz CA (2012) Synthesis, characterization and ac-conductivity measurement of polyaniline based composites with fly-ash and clinker. J Mater Environ Sci 3:137–148

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sabiha S (2013) Fabrication and characterization studies on thin film composites of poly(ethylene oxide). Ph.D thesis submitted to University of Peshawar, Pakistan

    Google Scholar 

  28. Murugendrappa MV, Khasim S, Ambika Prasad MVN (2005) Synthesis, characterization and conductivity studies of polypyrrole-fly ash composites. Bull Mater Sci 28:565–569

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ratna D, Divekar S, Samui AB, Chakraborty BC, Banthia AK (2006) Poly(ethylene oxide)/clay nanocomposite: thermomechanical properties and morphology. Polymer 47:4068–4074

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Chen HW, Chang FC (2001) The novel polymer electrolyte nanocomposite composed of poly(ethylene oxide), lithium triflate and mineral clay. Polymer 42:9763–9769

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Achari VB, Reddy TJR, Sharma AK, Narasimha Rao VVR (2007) Electrical, optical, and structural characterization of polymer blend (PVC/PMMA) electrolyte films. Ionics 13:349–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

One of us (S.S) acknowledges the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan for providing funding for carrying out research in UK under their scheme IRSIP. We are also thankful to Dr. Richard Baker (Sr. lecturer ), School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, Scotland (UK) for providing technical assistance regarding HRTEM, SEM/EDX, and conductivity and Mrs. Sylvia Williamson of the same institute for providing facility of optical, surface, and porosity studies.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre of Excellence in Physical Chemistry, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Pakistan

    Mohammad Saleem Khan, Sabiha Sultana & Gultiaz Khan

  2. Department of Applied Sciences, National Textile University, Faisalabad, 37610, Pakistan

    Zulfiqar Ali Raza

Authors
  1. Mohammad Saleem Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sabiha Sultana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zulfiqar Ali Raza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gultiaz Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Saleem Khan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Khan, M.S., Sultana, S., Raza, Z.A. et al. Electrical, structural, and optical characterization of coal ash–PEO/PMMA blend composites. Ionics 20, 353–362 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-013-0980-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-013-0980-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation