IngentaConnect Ionomer Membrane and MEA Development for DMFC

Authors: Gogel, Viktor¹; Jorissen, Ludwig¹; Chromik, Andreas²; Schonberger, Frank²; Lee, Jeong²; Schafer, Mechtilde²; Krajinovic, Katica²; Kerres, Jochen²

Source: Separation Science and Technology, Volume 43, Number 16, December 2008 , pp. 3955-3980(26)

Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd

Abstract:

Membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) have been prepared from different acid-base-blends consisting of different sulfonated arylene main-chain polymers and polybenzimidazole PBI and a microphase-separated arylene main-chain block copolymer consisting of a sulfonated and proton-conducting and a hydrophobic microphase. The MEAs have been prepared using 4 different methods: Method A: The membrane has been prepared first as a free film, and the electrodes have subsequently been coated onto the membrane; Method B: The membrane has been prepared first as a polyester-supported film, and the electrodes have thereafter been coated onto the membrane; Method C: The MEA has been built up from the anode; Method D: The MEA has been built up from the cathode. The MEAs have been tested under different temperatures and different meOH concentrations. Three different polyacid-PBI blend membranes could be identified which showed comparable or even better DMFC performance than Nafion®105: a sulfonated polyethersulfone-PBI blend membrane, a sulfonated polyetherketone-PBI blend membrane, and a partially fluorinated sulfonated polyether-PBI blend membrane. The proton-conducting block co-ionomer membrane initially showed an excellent DMFC performance due to reduced meOH permeability, compared to the polyacid-PBI blend membranes, which however degraded with time of the DMFC operation probably being due to irreversible morphology changes. Among all tested MEAs the MEAs prepared by Method B showed the best DMFC performance. The DMFC performance of the MEAs prepared by Method C and Method D was slightly worse than that of the MEAs made via Method B. The DMFC performance of a MEA from the sulfonated polyetherketone-PBI blend membrane which was built up using Method D improved steadily during 4 weeks of DMFC operation.

Keywords: blend membranes; DMFC; MEA

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/01496390802414759

Affiliations: 1: Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW), Ulm, Germany 2: Institute for Chemical Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

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