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Title: Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells

Abstract

Alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers are of interest because they have potential advantages over their acid counterparts. High-conductivity anion conducting membranes were analyzed and used in alkaline hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells. The membranes were composed of reinforced block copolymers of poly(norbornenes) with pendant quaternary ammonium head-groups. It was found that membranes with light cross-linking provided excellent mechanical stability and allowed very high ion exchange capacity polymers to be used without penalty of excessive water uptake and swelling. The optimum membrane and fuel cell operating conditions were able to achieve a peak power density of 3.4 W/cm2 using hydrogen and oxygen. The performance increase was greater than expected from minimizing ohmic losses. Mechanical deformations within the membrane due to excess water uptake can disrupt full cell operation. Cells were also run for over 500 h under load with no change in the membrane resistance and minimal loss of operating voltage.

Authors:
; ORCiD logo; ; ; ; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1562943
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1557403; OSTI ID: 2281600
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-74566
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651; /jes/166/10/F637.atom
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308; EE0008433
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Journal Volume: 166 Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-4651
Publisher:
The Electrochemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; fuel cells; alkaline

Citation Formats

Huang, Garrett, Mandal, Mrinmay, Peng, Xiong, Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C., Pivovar, Bryan S., Mustain, William E., and Kohl, Paul A. Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1149/2.1301910jes.
Huang, Garrett, Mandal, Mrinmay, Peng, Xiong, Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C., Pivovar, Bryan S., Mustain, William E., & Kohl, Paul A. Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells. United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.1301910jes
Huang, Garrett, Mandal, Mrinmay, Peng, Xiong, Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C., Pivovar, Bryan S., Mustain, William E., and Kohl, Paul A. Mon . "Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells". United States. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.1301910jes.
@article{osti_1562943,
title = {Composite Poly(norbornene) Anion Conducting Membranes for Achieving Durability, Water Management and High Power (3.4 W/cm 2 ) in Hydrogen/Oxygen Alkaline Fuel Cells},
author = {Huang, Garrett and Mandal, Mrinmay and Peng, Xiong and Yang-Neyerlin, Ami C. and Pivovar, Bryan S. and Mustain, William E. and Kohl, Paul A.},
abstractNote = {Alkaline fuel cells and electrolyzers are of interest because they have potential advantages over their acid counterparts. High-conductivity anion conducting membranes were analyzed and used in alkaline hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells. The membranes were composed of reinforced block copolymers of poly(norbornenes) with pendant quaternary ammonium head-groups. It was found that membranes with light cross-linking provided excellent mechanical stability and allowed very high ion exchange capacity polymers to be used without penalty of excessive water uptake and swelling. The optimum membrane and fuel cell operating conditions were able to achieve a peak power density of 3.4 W/cm2 using hydrogen and oxygen. The performance increase was greater than expected from minimizing ohmic losses. Mechanical deformations within the membrane due to excess water uptake can disrupt full cell operation. Cells were also run for over 500 h under load with no change in the membrane resistance and minimal loss of operating voltage.},
doi = {10.1149/2.1301910jes},
journal = {Journal of the Electrochemical Society},
number = 10,
volume = 166,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2019},
month = {Mon Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2019}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1149/2.1301910jes

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Cited by: 154 works
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