Abstract
A cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA/polyacrylic acid (PAA) fibrous web supported composite ionomer (Aquivion) membrane was fabricated and investigated for high-temperature and low-humidity proton exchange membrane fuel cell operations. PVA/PAA fibrous webs were initially synthesized via electrospinning method, followed by heat-treatment from cross-linking of polymers to increase mechanical strength. The formation of cross-linking bonds between PVA and PAA was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy analysis. The fibrous webs were further impregnated with an Aquivion ionomer phase in preparation for electrolyte membrane in single cell tests. The synthesized composite membrane had significantly enhanced mechanical strength compared to Aquivion-only membranes, as evidenced by a 1.78-fold increase in tensile strength. Single-cell and proton conductivity tests revealed that the Aquivion-impregnated PVA/PAA fibrous composite membranes showed approximately 1.4-, 1.6-, and 1.2-fold higher maximum power densities than did the Aquivion-only membranes at 75°C/100% relative humidity (RH), 75°C/40% RH, and 120°C/40% RH, respectively.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 569-575 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:is research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2019R1A6A1A11055660). is research was supported by Development of eco-friendly production system technology for total periodic resource cycle funded by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (kitech EO-20-0022).
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Chemistry(all)
- Chemical Engineering(all)