Fuel cell FC membrane applications

There are several types of fuel cells (FCs), where a fuel is transformed into 

PEM-FC (polymer exchange membrane fuel cell) DM-FC (direct methanol fuel cell)  

For this chapter, PEMs and DMs, with solid polymer electrolyte membranes, are of interest. Because of different types of fuels (mainly hydrogen or methanol, H2 or MeOH, respectively) even in this category the materials and construction vary broadly. For example, wtule for portable applications the PEM 

The most popular PEM used in fuel cells is Naflon , a sulfonated (thus ionomer) tetrafluoroethylene-based fluoro polymer-copolymer (Fig. 3.1). Naflon is a proton conductor with good chemical, thermal and mechanical stability. However, it is expensive and its performance deteriorates at the operating range for fuel cells, T 80°C. The search for a Naflon replacement is limited by three criteria  

Since blends offer a wider spectrum of performances than individual polymers, the search invariably involves HTPBs. In particular, the adopted strategy is using ionomers for electrical conduction and HTP for strength. 

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