Michele Mauri

Composite polymer electrolytes are systems of choice for future solid‐state lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP) is among the most interesting matrices to develop new generation quasi‐solid electrolytes (QSEs). Here it is reported on nanocomposites made of PVDF‐HFP and pegylated SiO 2 nanoparticles. Silica‐based hybrid nanofillers are obtained by grafting chains of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (PEG) with different molecular weight on the surface of silica nanoparticles. The functionalized nanofiller improves the mechanical, transport and electrochemical properties of the QSEs, which show good ionic conductivity values and high resistance against dendrite penetration, ensuring boosted long and safe device operation. The most promising result is obtained by dispersing 5 wt% of SiO 2 functionalized with short PEG chains (PEG 750 , Mw = 750 g mol −1 ) in the PVDF‐HFP matrix with an ease solvent‐casting procedure. It shows ionic conductivity of 0.1 mS cm −1 at 25 °C, more than 250 h resistance to stripping/plating, and impressive results during cycling tests in LMB with LiFePO 4 cathode.

Cement asbestos slates, commonly known as Eternit® and still abundant in private and public buildings, were deactivated through a thermal process. The resulting deactivated cement asbestos powder (DCAP), a mixture of Ca-Mg-Al silicates and glass, was compounded with Pavatekno Gold 200 (PT) and Pavafloor H200/E (PF), two different epoxy resins (bisphenol A epichlorohydrin) for flooring applications. The addition of the DCAP filler to the PF samples causes a slight but acceptable decrease in the relevant mechanical properties (compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths) upon increasing DCAP content. The addition of the DCAP filler to pure epoxy (PT resin) causes a slight decrease in the tensile and flexural strengths with increasing DCAP content, while the compressive strength is almost unaffected, and the Shore hardness increases. The main mechanical properties of the PT samples are significantly better than those of the filler-bearing sample of normal production. Overall, these results suggest that DCAP can be advantageously used as filler in addition to, or in substitution for, commercial barite. In particular, the sample with 20 wt% of DCAP is the best performing in terms of compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths, whereas the sample with 30 wt% of DCAP shows the highest Shore hardness, which is an important property to be considered in flooring applications.