Reinforced Composite Membranes Based on Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Skeletons Modified by a Surface Sol–Gel Process for Fuel Cell Applications

Nafion composite membranes, containing different amounts of mesoporous sulfated titanium oxide (TiO2-SO4) were prepared by solvent-casting and tested in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), operating at very low humidification levels. The TiO2-SO4 additive was originally synthesized by a sol-gel method and characterized through x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and ion exchange capacity (IEC). Peculiar properties of the composite membranes, such as the thermal transitions and ion exchange capacity, were investigated and here discussed. When used as an electrolyte in the fuel cell, the composite membrane guaranteed an improvement with respect to bare Nafion systems at 30% relative humidity and 110 °C, exhibiting higher power and current densities.

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Preparation of ZrO2–Al2O3 composite membranes by sol–gel process and their characterization

Materials Science and Engineering A ◽

10.1016/j.msea.2003.10.321 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 367 (1-2) ◽

pp. 243-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Yanxia Hao ◽

Jiansheng Li ◽

Xujie Yang ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Lude Lu

Keyword(s):

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Al2o3 Composite ◽

Sol Gel Process

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Chemically stable proton conducting doped BaCeO3 by citrate-EDTA complexing sol-gel process for solid oxide fuel cell

South African Journal of Chemical Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.sajce.2018.08.002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 61-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Madhuri Sailaja ◽

N. Murali ◽

S.J. Margarette ◽

N. Krishna Jyothi ◽

K. Rajkumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Solid Oxide ◽

Oxide Fuel ◽

Proton Conducting ◽

Sol Gel Process

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Preparation of proton-conducting sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/boron phosphate composite membranes by an in situ sol–gel process

Journal of Membrane Science ◽

10.1016/j.memsci.2005.12.010 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 279 (1-2) ◽

pp. 220-229 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Palanichamy Krishnan ◽

Jin-Soo Park ◽

Chang-Soo Kim

Keyword(s):

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Proton Conducting ◽

Boron Phosphate ◽

Ether Ether Ketone ◽

Poly Ether Ether Ketone ◽

Sol Gel Process ◽

Ether Ketone ◽

Sulfonated Poly

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Organic-Inorganic Nano Composite Membranes of Sulfonated Poly(ether Sulfone-Ketone) Copolymer and SiO2 for Fuel Cell Application

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.534-536.97 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 534-536 ◽

pp. 97-100

Author(s):

Dong Hoon Lee ◽

Hye Suk Park ◽

Dong Wan Seo ◽

Whan Gi Kim

Keyword(s):

Fuel Cell ◽

Bisphenol A ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Methanol Permeability ◽

Scanning Calorimetry ◽

Nano Composite ◽

Inorganic Composite ◽

Sulfonated Poly

Novel bisphenol-based wholly aromatic sulfonated poly(ether sulfone-ketone) copolymer and organic-inorganic composite membranes were prepared for operation 80°C in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFCs). The copolymer were synthesized by direct aromatic nucleophilic substitution polycondensation of 4,4-difluorobenzophenone, 2,2’-disodiumsulfonyl- 4,4’-fluorophenylsulfone (40mole% of bisphenol A) and bisphenol A. Polymerization proceeded quantitatively to high molecular weight in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone at 180°C. Organic-inorganic composite membranes were obtained by mixing organic polymers with hydrophilic SiO2 obtained by sol-gel process. The polymer and a series of composite membranes were studied by FT-IR, 1HNMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal stability. The proton conductivity as a function of temperature decreased as SiO2 content increased, but methanol permeability decreased. The nano composite membranes were found to poses all requisite properties; Ion exchange capacity (1.2meq./g), glass transition temperatures (164-183), and low affinity towards methanol (4.63-1.08x10-7 cm2/S).

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Preparation of organic/inorganic composite membranes using two types of polymer matrix via a sol–gel process

Journal of Power Sources ◽

10.1016/j.jpowsour.2007.11.046 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 181 (2) ◽

pp. 259-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Seung-Hee Park ◽

Jin-Soo Park ◽

Sung-Dae Yim ◽

Seok-Hee Park ◽

Young-Moo Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polymer Matrix ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Sol Gel Process ◽

Inorganic Composite

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Microporous inorganic membranes: Preparation by the sol-gel process and characterization of unsupported composite membranes of alumina and polyoxoaluminium pillared montmorillonite

Journal of Materials Science Letters ◽

10.1007/bf00273242 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 895-897 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

H. Lao ◽

C. Detellier ◽

T. Matsuura ◽

A. Y. Tremblay

Keyword(s):

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Inorganic Membranes ◽

Pillared Montmorillonite ◽

Sol Gel Process

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Properties of SPAES/phosphotungsticacid/sulfonated silica composite membranes prepared by the In situ and sol-gel process

Macromolecular Research ◽

10.1007/s13233-012-0159-2 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 20 (10) ◽

pp. 1075-1082 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Deuk Ju Kim ◽

Seung Moon Woo ◽

Sang Yong Nam

Keyword(s):

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Silica Composite ◽

Sol Gel Process ◽

Sulfonated Silica

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Hybrid Proton-Carrier Polymer Composites for High-Temperature FCPEM Applications

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-822-s8.6 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 822 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

F. J. Pern ◽

J. A. Turner ◽

A. M. Herring

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

Fuel Cell ◽

Polymer Composites ◽

High Performance ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Proton Exchange ◽

Hybrid Membranes ◽

Composite Powders ◽

Fuel Cell Performance

AbstractHybrid proton-carrier polymer composites were fabricated in an effort to develop high-performance high-temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for fuel cell applications in the 100°–200°C range. The solution-cast hybrid membranes comprise a polymer host and a SiO2-based proton-carrier composite that was synthesized via sol gel approach using a functional silane and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in acidic conditions. The primary H+-carrying component was either a heteropoly silicotungstic acid (STA) or a sulfonic acid (SFA) that was thermooxidatively converted from a mercapto (-SH) group. The embedding level of STA on the silane-modified SiO2 sol gel composites was strongly affected by the presence and the functional group of the silane. Ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the water-washed, SiO2-based STA and SFA proton-carrier composite powders is in the range of 1.8–3.5 mmol/g, two to three times higher than that for Nafion 117 (0.9 meq/mol). A glycidylmethacrylate-type copolymer, PEMAGMA, which is stable up to ∼225°C, was able to produce mechanically robust and flexible hybrid membranes. Upon curing, the PEMAGMA composite membranes showed a ∼75% gel under the present formulation and retained the "free" STA effectively with slight loss when extracted in an 85°C water. The W12-STA-containing PEMAGMA membranes followed the weight loss trends of water from STA and the SiO2-based sol gel composite, showing a 10 wt% loss at 150°C and a 15 wt% loss at 225°C. Fuel cell performance tests of the preliminary films gave a Voc in the 0.85–0.93 V range, but a low current density of <4 mA/cm2. The resistive characteristics were attributed to inhomogeneous distribution of the sol gel nanoparticles in the PEMAGMA matrix, a result of phase separation and particulate agglomeration during film forming.

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