ON THE FEASIBILITY OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS FOR MULTIFUNCTIONAL ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS

Multifunctional energy storage for use in the automotive or aeronautic field promises to resolve
current limits in energy density, by providing energy storage without the penalty of additional weight.
Reinforcing conventional battery systems and integration into composite structures allows to
manufacture panels with multifunctional energy storage. The integrated batteries, though, are required
to sustain similar mechanical stress at similar weights as the composite materials they are exchanged
with. This requirement poses quite a challenge considering that conventional batteries are just a layup
of three composite sheets (anode, cathode, and separator), soaked with a liquid electrolyte. Therefore,
many attempts to improve the mechanical properties of battery layups have been conducted with mixed
results. Especially the low mechanical strength of the electrolyte has been the focus of recent research.
In this work, PVdF-based thermoplastic materials are investigated for use in multifunctional energy
storage cells and compared with thermoset materials. The morphological, electrochemical and
mechanical properties of the prepared electrolyte films are investigated by physico-chemical methods
and discussed for their application in multifunctional energy storage units. Vital challenges regarding
processability, adhesion, and thermal stability, which are often neglected, are highlighted in this work.