Abstract
A widespread application and nonbiodegradability of the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) have created a huge amount of waste, which is imposing a serious life-threatening environmental problem. In this study, we have utilized the PET waste to synthesize disodium terephthalate (DST), an organic salt having two Na+ ions per molecule. The purity of the DST phase was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A new poly(ethylene oxide)-DST polymer electrolyte was synthesized for utilizing Na+ ions of the DST. The electrical conductivity of the electrolyte was optimized by varying the [O]/[Na+] mole ratio with temperature and the results were explained using the XRD and differential scanning calorimetry studies. The TGA study showed that the electrolyte is thermally stable up to 200 degrees C. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47612.