Proton Exchange Membrane Development and Processing for Fuel Cell Application

2007 ◽  
Vol 539-543 ◽  
pp. 1327-1331
Author(s):  
Philippe Bébin ◽  
Hervé Galiano

The development of new proton exchange membranes for PEMFC has to be related to the membrane processing as it can change drastically the final properties of the material. Indeed, for the same material, a membrane prepared by a solvent-casting process has a lower lifetime than an extruded one. The proton conduction of the membrane can also be dependent on the membrane processing, especially when some removable plasticizers are used to perform the membrane extrusion. Some residual porosity, left in the material after removing the plasticizer, is suspected to enhance the proton conduction of the film. Fuel cell experiments have shown that extruded sulfonated polysulfone membrane can give the same performance as a Nafion® reference membrane whereas the proton conductivity of PSUs is twenty times lower than the Nafion® one. Additional improvements of the membrane properties can also be expected by adding some proton conductive fillers to the organic polymer. This approach enhances the proton conductivity of sulfonated polysulfone to values similar to Nafion®. On the other hand, when Nafion® is used as a matrix for the proton conductive fillers, a very significant improvement of fuel cell performance is obtained.

2010 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Valle ◽  
Franck Pereira ◽  
Frederic Rambaud ◽  
Philippe Belleville ◽  
Christel Laberty ◽  
...  

Fuel cell technology has merged in recent years as a keystone for future energy supply. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the most promising projects of this energy technology program; the PEMFC is made of a conducting polymer that usually operates at temperatures in the range 20-80°C. In order to reach high energy consumption application like transportation, the using temperatures need to be increased above 100°C. Sol-gel organic/inorganic hybrids have been evaluated as materials for membranes to full file the high temperature using requirement. These new materials for membrane need to retain water content and therefore proton conductivity property with using temperature and time. The membranes also need to be chemical-resistant to strong acidic conditions and to keep their mechanical properties regarding stacking requirements. In order to! answer all these specifications, the proposed hybrid membranes are based on nanoporous inorganic phase embedded in an organic polymer in which chemical grafting and conductivity network microstructure are optimized to preserve both water-uptake and proton conductivity at higher temperatures. Such very promising results on these new hybrids are presented and discussed regarding electrochemical properties/microstructure


e-Polymers ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidong Li ◽  
Guoping Fei ◽  
Jiongxin Zhao

AbstractThe sulfonated polysulfone/phosphotungstic acid (SPSU/PWA) composite membranes were investigated for proton exchange membranes. The influence of the interactions between sulfonic acid groups and phosphotungstic acid on the properties of composite membranes was studied in detail. The study showed that special interaction has great influence on the membrane properties. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the composite membranes exhibited band shifts showing a possibility of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction between SPSU and PWA additives. SPSU/PWA composite membranes were evaluated for thermal stability, ion exchange capacity, water uptake and proton conductivity. Also the extraction of PWA from the composite membranes and their chemical stability were determined. Thermal analysis of the composites showed that it promotes the decomposition temperature of the sulfonic acid groups with increase in PWA weight content. Though the IEC and water uptake decreased with increase in PWA content, the proton conductivity of the composite membranes increased with increase in PWA content. The proton conductivity of the composites with 5 wt.%, 20 wt.% and 30 wt.% PWA is 2.62×10-2, 1.34×10-1 and 1.66×10-1 s·cm-1 at 80oC, respectively.


2013 ◽  
Vol 401-403 ◽  
pp. 563-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Han Li ◽  
Wei Jian Wang ◽  
Yu Fei Chen ◽  
Lei Wang

Containing pyrimidine and pyridine monomers were incorporated respectively into the main chain of a sulfonated polyimide in order to investigate the effect of nitrogen-containing heterocycles on membrane properties such as water uptake and proton conductivity. With increasing content of the nitrogen-containing heterocycles, water uptake of membranes and dimensional changes remarkable decrease. The copolymer showed higher thermal stability (desulfonation temperature up to 330 °C) and reasonable good mechanical properties. These membranes also showed higher proton conductivity, which was comparable or even higher than Nafion 117.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Siti Wafiroh ◽  
Suyanto Suyanto ◽  
Yuliana Yuliana

AbstrakDi era globalisasi ini, kebutuhan bahan bakar fosil semakin meningkat dan ketersediannya semakin menipis. Oleh karena itu, dibutuhkan bahan bakar alternatif seperti Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah membuat dan mengkarakterisasi membran komposit kitosan-sodium alginat dari rumput laut coklat (Sargassum sp.) terfosforilasi sebagai Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). PEM dibuat dengan 4 variasi perbandingan konsentrasi antara kitosan dengan sodium alginat 8:0, 8:1, 8:2, dan 8:4 (b/b). Membran komposit kitosan-sodium alginat difosforilasi dengan STPP 2N. Karakterisasi PEM meliputi: uji tarik, swelling air, kapasitas penukar ion, FTIR, SEM, permeabilitas metanol, dan konduktivitas proton. Berdasarkan hasil analisis tersebut, membran yang optimal adalah perbandingan 8:1 (b/b) dengan nilai modulus young sebesar 0,0901 kN/cm2, swelling air sebesar 19,14 %, permeabilitas metanol sebesar 72,7 x 10-7, dan konduktivitas proton sebesar 4,7 x 10-5 S/cm. Membran komposit kitosan-sodium alginat terfosforilasi memiliki kemampuan yang cukup baik untuk bisa diaplikasikan sebagai membran polimer elektrolit dalam PEMFC. Kata kunci: kitosan, sodium alginat, terfosforilasi, PEMFC  AbstractIn this globalization era, the needs of fossil fuel certainly increases, but its providence decreases. Therefore, we need alternative fuels such as Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). The purpose of this study is preparationand characterization of phosphorylated chitosan-sodium alginate composite membrane from brown seaweed (Sargassum sp.) as Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). PEM is produced with 4 variations of concentration ratio between chitosan and sodium alginate 8:0, 8:1, 8:2, and 8:4 (w/w). Chitosan-sodium alginate composite membrane phosphorylated with 2 N STPP. The characterization of PEM include: tensile test, water swelling, ion exchange capacity, FTIR, SEM, methanol permeability, and proton conductivity. Based on the analysis result, the optimal membrane is ratio of 8:1 (w/w) with the value of Young’s modulus about 0.0901 kN/cm2, water swelling at 19.14%, methanol permeability about 72.7 x 10-7, and proton conductivity about 4.7 x 10-5 S/cm. The phosphorylated chitosan-sodium alginate composite membrane has good potentials for the application of the polymer electrolyte membrane in PEMFC. Keywords: chitosan, sodium alginate, phosphorylated, PEMFC


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja Rafidah R. S. ◽  
Rashmi W. ◽  
Khalid M. ◽  
Wong W. Y. ◽  
Priyanka J.

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) play a pivotal role in fuel cells; conducting protons from the anode to the cathode within the cell’s membrane electrode assembles (MEA) separates the reactant fuels and prevents electrons from passing through. High proton conductivity is the most important characteristic of the PEM, as this contributes to the performance and efficiency of the fuel cell. However, it is also important to take into account the membrane’s durability to ensure that it canmaintain itsperformance under the actual fuel cell’s operating conditions and serve a long lifetime. The current state-of-the-art Nafion membranes are limited due to their high cost, loss of conductivity at elevated temperatures due to dehydration, and fuel crossover. Alternatives to Nafion have become a well-researched topic in recent years. Aromatic-based membranes where the polymer chains are linked together by aromatic rings, alongside varying numbers of ether, ketone, or sulfone functionalities, imide, or benzimidazoles in their structures, are one of the alternatives that show great potential as PEMs due totheir electrochemical, mechanical, and thermal strengths. Membranes based on these polymers, such as poly(aryl ether ketones) (PAEKs) and polyimides (PIs), however, lack a sufficient level of proton conductivity and durability to be practical for use in fuel cells. Therefore, membrane modifications are necessary to overcome their drawbacks. This paper reviews the challenges associated with different types of aromatic-based PEMs, plus the recent approaches that have been adopted to enhance their properties and performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Liu ◽  
Xiaoyu Meng ◽  
Chuanming Shi ◽  
Jiangbei Huo ◽  
Ziqing Cai ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTGraphene oxide (GO) is one of the most attractive inorganic nanofillers in proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for its large specific surface area and high proton conductivity. The proton conductivity of GO nanosheet is known to be orders of magnitude greater than the bulk GO, thus it is essential to improve the dispersion of GO nanosheets in the PEM matrix to achieve higher conductivity. In this study, we report a facile and effective method to fabricate a GO/sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) composite membrane with well-dispersed GO nanosheets in SPEEK matrix by using electrospinning technique for direct methanol fuel cell application. The composite membrane exhibits improved proton conductivity, dimensional stability and methanol barrier property due to the presence of well-dispersed GOs. It is believed that the GO nanosheets can not only induce continuous channels for proton-conducting via Grotthuss mechanism, but also act as methanol barriers to hinder the methanol molecules from passing through the membrane.


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