TAGS: New Energy Solutions
Scientists from Incheon National University have developed a novel membrane that is both thin and strong and takes care of any drawbacks. The new polymer ion exchange membrane fabricated using a novel method can realize cheaper and higher performance fuel cells than those existing, taking one step closer towards realizing a hydrogen economy.
The Novel Process
To develop their membrane, the scientists used a novel method: They chemically bonded two commercially available polymers, poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) and poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) without using a crosslinking agent.
Professor Tae-Hyun Kim from Incheon National University, who led the study, explains, "
A previous study made a similar attempt to fabricate anion exchange membranes (AEMs) by crosslinking PPO and SEBS with di amine as a crosslinking agent. While the AEMs displayed excellent mechanical stability, the use of diamine could have led to different reactions other than those between PPO and SEBS, which made it difficult to control the properties of the resultant membrane. Therefore, in our study, we crosslinked PPO and SEBS without any crosslinking agent to ensure that only PPO and SEBS react with each other." The strategy used by Prof. Kim's team also involved adding a compound called triazole to PPO to increase the membrane's ion conductivity.
Outstanding Properties of the Fabricated Membrane
Membranes fabricated using this method were up to 10 µm thin and had excellent mechanical strength, chemical stability, and conductivity at even a 95% room humidity. Together, these conferred a high overall performance to the membrane and to the corresponding fuel cell on which the scientists tested their membrane. When operated at 60°C, this fuel cell exhibited stable performance for 300 hours with a maximum power density surpassing those of existing commercial AEMs and matching cutting-edge ones.
Excited about the prospects of this novel promising AEM, Prof. Kim says, "
The polymer electrolyte membranes in our study can be applied not only to fuel cells that generate energy, but also to water electrolysis technology that produces hydrogen. Therefore, I believe this research will play a vital role in revitalizing the domestic hydrogen economy."
Source: Incheon National University