Ionic conductivity enhancement in Na2SO4-PAN polymer composites

The ionic conductivity of sodium sulfate Na2SO4-polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composites has been measured for various compositions. The ionic conductivity has been found to be enhanced up to six times with the addition of PAN polymer. The enhancement of conductivity with composite formation is strange because PAN itself is simply a matrix material. The phase transitions of Na2SO4 are observed to be dependent on the existence of PAN, only in the first heating run of Na2SO4(V). These are discussed with the peculiarities of the structural phase transitions in Na2SO4. With the addition of PAN, the mechanical properties are greatly improved.