The importance of water control to PEM fuel cell performance
- Lynntech, Inc., College Station, TX (United States)
All membranes currently in use in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells have sulfonate (-SO{sub 3}{sup -}) groups as the anionic functionalities attached to the backbone of the polymer electrolyte. As a consequence of this fact, all PEM membranes depend on the presence of water in the electrolyte to facilitate proton transport. This includes perfluorinated membranes, such as Nafion{reg_sign} (DuPont), and Gore Select{trademark} (W. L. Gore), partially fluorinated membranes, such as the Ballard membrane, which is a derivatized trifluorostyrene, non-fluorinated membranes, including both sulfonated polyparaphenylene (Maxdem`s Poly-X{trademark}) and sulfonated styrene-butadiene (DAIS), and the various grafted materials that have been described in the literature. In every case, without water, the proton conductivity of the membrane is insufficient to support fuel cell operation.
- Research Organization:
- Fuel Cell Seminar Organizing Committee (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 460315
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961107-Absts.; ON: TI97001494; TRN: 97:001723-0168
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Fuel cell seminar, Kissimmee, FL (United States), 17-20 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]; Related Information: Is Part Of Fuel cells seminar; PB: 794 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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