Radiation-grafted membranes based on polyethylene for direct methanol fuel cells

JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES

卷:195

Article

Sherazi, Tauqir A.^1,2  Guiver, Michael D.¹  Kingston, David¹  Ahmad, Shujaat³  Kashmiri, M. Akram^2,4  Xue, Xinzhong¹ 

[1] Natl Res Council Canada, Inst Chem Proc & Environm Technol, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada

[2] Govt Coll Univ, Dept Chem, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

[3] PIEAS PINSTECH, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan

[4] Board Intermediate & Secondary Educ, Lahore 54000, Pakistan

关键词: Fuel cell;    Proton exchange membrane;    Radiation grafting;    Polyethylene;    Membrane-electrode assembly;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jpowsour.2009.07.021

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Styrene was grafted onto ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene powder (UHMWPE) by gamma irradiation using a Co-60 source. Compression moulded films of selected pre-irradiated styrene-grafted ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE-g-PS) were post-sulfonated to the sulfonic acid derivative (UHMWPE-g-PSSA) for use as proton exchange membranes (PEMs). The sulfonation was confirmed by Xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The melting and flow properties of UHMWPE and UHMWPE-g-PS are conducive to forming homogeneous pore-free membranes. Both the ion conductivity and methanol permeability coefficient increased with degree of grafting, but the grafted membranes showed comparable or higher ion conductivity and lower methanol permeability than Nafion (R) 117 membrane. One UHMWPE-g-PS membrane was fabricated into a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and tested as a single cell direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Low membrane cost and acceptable fuel cell performance indicate that UHMWPE-g-PSSA membranes could offer an alternative approach to perfluorosulfonic acid-type membranes for DMFC. Crown Copyright c 2009 Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free