Application of polyvinyl chloride-based membrane as the separator in supercapacitors: synthesis and performance studies

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Chemical Engineering Faculty, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, P.O. Box 484, Babol, Iran

2 . Fuel Cell Electrochemistry and Advanced Material Research Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering Modern Technologies, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran

10.22063/jipst.2026.35779.2426

Abstract

Hypothesis: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based membranes have limited hydrophilicity and so far, have not been used as the separator in supercapacitors. Despite their favorable chemical stability and low cost, the inherent limitations of these membranes (including hydrophobicity) could limit their application in supercapacitor-based energy storage systems. This study investigates the utilization of pure PVC membrane in this application and evaluates its performance.
Methods: Pure PVC membrane at 11% (by wt) was fabricated using the phase inversion method and various tests including contact angle measurement, average pore size, porosity and water flux were performed to determine its properties. Then, the electrochemical tests EIS, CV and GCD were performed to determine the ion transport resistance of the membrane and its performance stability as the separator in a supercapacitor.
Findings: The contact angle of 86.17o indicated moderate hydrophobicity of the membrane, while the average pore size (5.7 nm) and high porosity (91.8%) facilitated the ion transport in the membrane structure. In addition, the suitable pure water flux (87.5 L/m2/h) confirmed the proper permeability of the membrane. SEM images of the membrane cross-section showed porosity with fingerlike pores, confirming the proper permeability of the membrane. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed low resistance for ionic conductivity of the membrane (0.17 ohms), confirming the suitability of the membrane for application in supercapacitors. Furthermore, the membrane was assembled in a supercapacitor consisting of two copper plates coated with activated carbon and its performance was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) tests, which indicated reversibility and stability in charging and discharging of the supercapacitor. These results demonstrate the high potential of pure PVC membrane as an efficient and cost-effective separator in supercapacitors.

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Iranian Journal of Polymer Science and Technology
Volume 38, Issue 4 - Serial Number 198
September and October 2025

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