Perfluorosulfonic acid polymer properties

Abstract There have been numerous studies on modifying DuPont s Nafion (a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer) in order to improve the performance of this membrane material in a direct methanol fuel cell. Modifications focused on making Nafion a better methanol barrier, without sacrificing proton conductivity, so that methanol crossover during fuel cell operation is minimized. In this chapter, a brief literature survey of such modifications is presented, along with recent experimental results (membrane properties and fuel cell performance curves) for (1) thick Nafion films, (2) Nafion blended with Teflon-FEP or Teflon-PFA, and (3) Nafion doped with polybenzimidazole. 

The synthetic polymer Nation is an anionic, inert polymer that has hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. Nation is composed of perfluorosulfonic acid and has shown to increase the lifetime of sensors and to decrease the inflammatory response in the short term and decrease interferents (believed to be due to the anionic property). Nation can be applied as an outer coating to sensors through a dip coating or spin coating procedure to entrap the enzyme and improve biocompatibility of the... 

In the development of fuel-cell technology based on this unique polymer electrolyte, special chapters in electrochemical science and engineering have emerged, addressing the fuel-cell ionomeric membrane itself and the optimized fabrication of MEAs. The invention of Nafion, a poly(perfluorosulfonic acid) (poly(PFSA)) at DuPont in the 1960s, was, in fact, a key (if not the key) milestone in the development of PEFC technology. The chemical and mechanical properties of such poly(PFSA) extruded membranes, which are based on a perfluorocar-bon backbone, enabled to achieve stable materials properties and, consequently,... 

Solid polymer electrolytes, typically perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes, are at the core of Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). These membranes electrically and mechanically isolate the anode and cathode while, when appropriately humidified, allowing for effective ion migration. Nafion, manufactured by DuPont, is one of the most thoroughly used and studied membranes in the PFSA family. Another family of membranes that holds some promise for use in PEMFCs is the group of sulfonated polyaromatic membranes, typically sulfonated polyetherketones. While research is being performed on other types of membranes, as well as hybrid membranes that might have been better-suited properties, information on these is searce [1-10]. 

Abstract This article outlines some history of and recent progress in perfluorinated membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). The structure, properties, synthesis, degradation problems, technology for high temperature membranes, reinforcement technology, and characterization methods of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are reviewed. 

Excellent reviews on chemical structure, morphology and properties of acid-bearing polymers can be found in Mauritz and Moore (2004), Peckham and Holdcroft (2010) and Yang et al. (2008). The base polymer of the prototypical DuPont Nafion perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer, shown in Figure 1.13(left), consists of a tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) backbone with randomly attached pendant sidechains of perfluorinated vinyl ethers. Sulfonic acid groups are fixed at the sidechain heads (Kreuer et al., 2004 Tanimura and Matsuoka, 2004 Yang et al., 2008 Yoshitake and Watakabe, 2008). 

Due to their extensive use in the polymer industry and as solvents, there is a continuing need for better separation processes for alkenes and other unsaturated organic compoimds from alkanes. Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes, such as Nafion (1), that have been ion-exchanged with silver(I) ion exhibit large transport selectivities for many unsaturated hydrocarbons with respect to saturates with similar physical properties. These selectivities are the result of reversible complexation reactions between the unsaturated molecules and Ag+ (2-4), which results in facilitated transport through the membranes (5). 

Abstract During the last two decades, extensive efforts have been made to develop alternative hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membranes to overcome the drawbacks of the current widely used perfluorosulfonic acid Nafion. This chapter presents an overview of the synthesis, chemical properties, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications of new proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membranes based on sulfonated poly(arylene ether ether ketone) polymers and copolymers. 

Wainright s work with m-PBl demonstrated that this polymer could be a viable membrane candidate for fuel cells. Almost all previous PEM work had focused on perfluorosulfonic acid electrolytes, such as Nafion. This early work showed that m-PBI could be cast into films from dimethylacetamide solutions, doped with acid ( 5 moles PA/PRU), could retain conductivity even at high temperatures (0.025 S cm at 150 °C), and function in a fuel cell, all without loss of polymer properties (IV = 1.2 dLg ). Furthermore, this work reported a methanol permeabihty of 15 x lO" m (STP)mm s Pa and methanol crossover current of 10mAcm for m-PBI films. Typically, the crossover current for Nafion is 100 mA cm . ... 

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