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
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Water Dynamics of Superacid Aromatic Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications
Advanced composite polymer electrolyte fuel cell membranes