Determination of Water Content and Resistivity of Perfluorosulfonic Acid Fuel Cell Membranes

ABSTRACTWater uptake and resistivity have been determined for Dupont's Nafion-115®and Dow membrane 800 EW while in contact with a water-saturated nitrogen atmosphere using Fourier transform near-infrared (NIR), and AC impedance four point techniques in the temperature range of 23°C to 100°C. Results show that at room temperature there is a significant increase in water content and a corresponding decrease in the electrical resistivity as the relative humidity increases from 0% to 100%. Results also indicate that there is a substantial decrease in water uptake from water vapor at 100°C relative to that at 23°C. The water content of Dow membrane is higher than Nafion-115 under all conditions tested. The water contents of Dow PFSA 800 EW and Nafion-115 membranes at about 92% R.H. and 23°C are approximately 25 wt% and 18 wt%, respectively. The corresponding water content values at 100°C are 10 wt% and 8 wt%, respectively. The resistivity of the membranes decreases sharply with the temperature up to 60°C, reaches a minimum near 80°C then increases up to 100°C. The Dow membrane has lower resistivity than Nafion-115 over the entire range.