Effects of La2O3 and SrO on the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Ultrasound-Assisted Cast Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Polymer Membranes

This study investigates the effects of lanthanum oxide (La2O3) and strontium oxide (SrO) on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer membranes. The PVA membranes, fabricated using an ultrasound-assisted casting method, include variations with (PVA-SrO), (PVA-La2O3), and a combination of both metal oxides (PVA-SrO-La2O3). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that these membranes exhibit a combination of semi-crystalline and amorphous properties, with the introduction of crystalline peaks due to the addition of SrO and La2O3. Electrical performance assessments, conducted using an I-V source meter and impedance spectroscopy, demonstrate that the metal oxide composite membranes showed improved performance. Mechanical properties were evaluated using Load-Displacement curves, where PVA-SrO-La2O3 exhibited the highest elongation with a value (epsilon) of 134, as measured by Young's modulus, and a resistance value of 12.230 k Omega.