Rheology of polysulfone-N-methylpyrrolidone solutions used in the technology of lithium-ion batteries

Abstract This paper is devoted to the analysis of the rheological properties of polysulfone solutions in N-methylpyrrolidone, which are an intermediate stage in preparing lithium-ionic batteries. The viscosity of the solutions has been measured in wide ranges of shear rate, temperature, and concentration. The crucial role of water in measuring the rheological properties of solutions has been observed and avoided. The solutions under study are Newtonian liquids, but they demonstrate the elasticity at moderately high concentrations. The concentration dependence of viscosity is very strong, and the threshold was found where the viscosity grows unlimitedly due to the transition of the solution to the gel-like state. Temperature dependences of viscosity are described by the Arrhenius-type equation with the activation energy increasing along with an increase in the polymer concentration in solutions.