Fuel cell blends

Mohd Norddin MNA, Ismail AF, Rana D, Matsuura T, Mustafa A, Tabe-Mohammadi A (2008) Characterization and performance of proton exchange membranes for direct methanol fuel cell blending of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) with charged surface modyfying macromolecule. J Membr Sci 323 404—413... 

Mohd-Norddin, M.N.A., Ismail, A.F., Rana, D., Matsuura, T., Mustafa, A. and Tabe, A. M., 2008. Characterization and performance of proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cell Blending of SPEEK with charged surface modifying macromolecules. 

A fuel closely related to gasoline is naphtha, which is also a potential fuel cell fuel. Naphtha is already produced in large quantities at refineries and is a cheaper fuel than gasoline, which must have octaneboosting additives blended into it. Unlike methanol, naphtha can be distributed in the same pipelines as gasoline. From the fuel cell s perspective, it has a higher H C ratio and lower sulfur and aromatics content than gasoline. 

The effect of annealing temperatures (65 - 250 °C) and blend composition of Nafion 117, solution-cast Nafion , poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and Nafion /PVAblend membranes for application to the direct methanol fuel cell is reported in [148], These authors have found that a Nafion /PVAblend membrane at 5 wt% PVA (annealed at 230 °C) show a similar proton conductivity of that found to Nafion 117, but with a three times lower methanol permeability compared to Nafion 117. They also found that for Nafion /PVA (50 wt% PVA) blend membranes, the methanol permeability decreases by approximately one order of magnitude, whilst the proton conductivity remained relatively constant, with increasing annealing temperature. The Nafion /PVA blend membrane at 5 wt% PVA and 230 °C annealing temperature had a similar proton conductivity, but three times lower methanol permeability compared to unannealed Nafion 117 (benchmark in PEM fuel cells). 

Schematic representation of ionically cross-linked acid-base blend membranes. (From Kerres, J. A. 2005. Fuel Cells 5 230-247.)...

Carter, R., Wycisk, R., Yoo, H. and Pintauro, P. N. 2002. Blended polyphosphazene/polyacrylonitrile membranes for direct methanol fuel cells. Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters 5 A195-A197. 

Song, M. K., Kim, Y. T., Fenton, J. M., Kunz, H. R. and Rhee, H. W. 2003. Chemically modified Nafion (R)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) blend ionomers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources 117 14-21. 

Cho, K.-Y, Jung, H.-Y., Choi, N.-S., Sung, S.-H., Park, J.-K., Choi, J.-H. and Sung, Y.-E. 2005. A coated Nafion membrane with a PVdF copolymer/ Nafion blend for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Solid State Ionics 176 3027-3030. 

Manea, C. and Mulder, M. 2002. Characterization of polymer blends of poly-ethersulfone/sulfonated polysulfone and polyethersulfone/sulfonated poly-etheretherketone for direct methanol fuel cell applications. Journal of Membrane Science 206 443-453. 

Jung, B., Kim, B. and Yang, J. M. 2004. Transport of methanol and protons through partially sulfonated polymer blend membranes for direct methanol fuel cell. Journal of Membrane Science 245 61-69. 

Lavorgna, M., Mensitieri, G., Scherillo, G., Shaw, M. T., Swier, S. and Weiss, R. A. 2007. Polymer blend for fuel cells based on SPEKK Effect of cocontinuous morphology on water sorption and proton conductivity. Journal of Polymer Science Part B Polymer Physics 45 395-404. 

Kerres, J., Ullrich, A., Meier, R and Haring, T. 1999. Synthesis and characterization of novel acid-base polymer blends for application in membrane fuel cells. Solid State Ionics 125 243-249. 

Jang, W., Sundar, S., Choi, S., Shul, Y. G. and Han, H. 2006. Acid-base polyim-ide blends for the application as electrolyte membranes for fuel cells. Journal of... 

Fu, Y. Z., Manthiram, A. and Guiver, M. D. 2006. Blend membranes based on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) and polysulfone bearing benzimidazole side groups for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Electrochemistry... 

Kerres, J., Ullrich, A., Haring, T., Baldauf, M., Gebhardt, U. and Preidel, W. 2000. Preparation, characterization and fuel cell application of new acid-base blend membranes. Journal of New Materials for Electrochemical Systems 3 229-239. 

Sulfonated EPDMs are formulated to form a number of rubbery products including adhesives for footwear, garden hoses, and in the formation of calendered sheets. Perfluori-nated ionomers marketed as Nation (DuPont) are used for membrane applications including chemical-processing separations, spent-acid regeneration, electrochemical fuel cells, ion-selective separations, electrodialysis, and in the production of chlorine. It is also employed as a solid -state catalyst in chemical synthesis and processing. lonomers are also used in blends with other polymers. 

Methanol is a convenient liquid fuel that can be either blended with petrol or burnt directly in an engine. Utilization of methanol can be envisaged for automotive transport, should a cheap, reliable, long-lived methanol-air fuel cell be developed. Two principal materials problems must be overcome before such a cell can be realized in the market place a proton electrolyte capable of cheap manufacture and stable to about 570 K and a catalytic anode for the conversion of methanol and water via the reaction... 

C6o fullerene surfaces were thermally functionalized with perfluoro-(3-oxo-penta-4-ene)sulfonyl fluoride and then converted into sulfonic acid derivatives by basic hydrolysis. The product mimiced the electroconductive properties of perfluorosulfonyl Nation 1100 resins. When the modified fullerence was blended with platinum nanoparticles imbedded in Nation 1100 the material was effective as electrodes in fuel cells. 

Terpolymer blends containing poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro-a-olefins) and platinum nanoparticles imbedded in Nation 1100 fluoropolymer resin were previously prepared by the authors (1) and used as electrodes in fuel cells. 

A composition consisting of the step 2 product and platinum nanoparticles blended in perfluoro-aromatic cationic copolymers, (I), was prepared by the authors (2) and used in fuel cell applications. 

Polyphosphazenes block copolymers containing sulfonimide side groups, (V), were prepared by Allcock et al. (4) and used in membrane blends in fuel cells. 

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