Proton conducting nanocomposite membranes based on poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) / Glutaraldehyde (GA) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Document Type: Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Chemical Engineering , South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University , Tehran ,Iran

2 Islamic Azad University South Branch

3 Department of Chemistry, Islamic Azad University, Naragh Branch, Naragh, Iran

4 Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, 1599637111, Iran

Abstract

In the present work, BaCe0.85Yb0.15O3-δ mixed metal oxide nanoparticles supplying strong acid sites and good hydrophilic nature were used for the first time to build organic-inorganic proton exchange membranes. Poly(vinyl alcohol) - BaCe0.85Yb0.15O3-δ (PVAYb) nanocomposite membranes were fabricated. Different analyses such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) were used to characterize and study the structural properties of the obtained membranes. SEM and EDX analyses exhibited a homogenous dispersion of the nanoparticles in the nanocomposite membrane. It was found that PVAYb1.5 had a better elemental distribution compared to PVAYb2.5 composite membrane. PVAYb nanocomposite membrane containing 1.5 wt.% of BaCe0.85Yb0.15O3-δ nanoparticles displayed high proton conductivity value (64 mS/cm) at 70 °C operation temperature. The peak power density of 29 mW/cm2 was obtained with a peak current density of 210 mA / cm2 for as-prepared proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) equipped with PPYb1.5 nanocomposite membrane at 70 °C.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (IJCCE)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 October 2019

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