Polybenzimidazole membrane preparation

Staiti P, Lufrano F, Arico AS, Passalacqua E, Antonucci V (2001) Sulfonated polybenzimidazole membranes - preparation and physico-chemical characterization. J Membr Sci... 

Yang JS, He RH (2010) Preparation and characterization of polybenzimidazole membranes prepared by gelation in phosphoric acid. Polym Adv Technol 21 874-880... 

Casting by solvent evaporation is a commonly used procedure for fabrication of membranes based on organic polymers. It is probably the most widely used technique for polybenzimidazole membrane preparation for high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. After casting, doping with phosphoric acid provides proton conductivity to the membrane. 

Staiti, P., Lufrano, F., Arico, A.S., Passalacqua, E., Antonucci, V. (2001) Sulfonated polybenzimidazole membranes—preparation and physico-chemical characterization. Journal of Membrane Science, 188, 71-78. 

Kosmala, B. and Schauer, J. 2002. Ion-exchange membranes prepared by blending sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-l,4-phenylene oxide) with polybenzimidazole. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 85 1118-1127. 

Asymmetric polybenzimidazole membranes have been developed for RO applications, in the form of hollow fibers [154] and flat film membranes [155] for water transport. By comparison with cellulose acetate, FBI has very attractive chemical, flammability and thermal properties. There are two problems encountered in attempting the preparation of such membranes for TEM (1) deformation during drying and (2) lack of contrast. Often specific methods must be developed for each membrane type, although method development is quite time consuming. 

The scope of the reviewed R D work is limited to intermediate-T acid-base blend membranes prepared by mixing polybenzimidazoles and sulfonated or phosphonated acidic polymers. Other membrane types, where the acid-base concept was used to improve their relevant... 

Xu HI, Chen KC, Guo XX et al (2007) S)mthesis of novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole and preparation of cross-linked membranes for fuel cell application. Polymer 48 5556-5564... 

Membrane prepared by blending sulfonated polybenzimidazole (PBI) with Nafion polymer showed a conductivity of 0.032 S cm The methanol permeability of the composite membrane was found to be 0.82 x 10 cm s as compared to Nafion, which is around 2.21 x 10 cm s [22]. Addressing the problem of methanol permeation, a composite membrane of Nafion with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for direct methanol fuel cell has been reported. It is concluded that at the weight ratio of 1 1 in PVA and Nafion, the thin film-coated Nafion membrane exhibited low methanol crossover, and the membrane protonic conductivity could be improved by the sulfonation treatment [23]. Recently, Zaidi et al. [24] prepared composite membranes of PFSA ionomer with boron phosphate and showed the conductivity of 6.2 X 10-2 S cm-i at 120°C. 

Composites of zirconium tricarboxybutylphosphonate and polybenzimidazole were prepared by Jang and Yamagnchi [56]. The membranes were thermally stable and the conductivities measured for composites with 50 wt% phosphate were about 3.8 mS cm" at 200°C. Zaidi [57] and Zaidi et al. [58] introdnced boron phosphate to improve the conductivity of SPEEK membranes. By adding polybenzimidazole again the compatibility between the phosphate and the polymer matrix conld be improved. Up to 40% phosphate was added to the polymer matrix. The boron phosphate was synthesized from orthophosphoric and boric acid and added as a solid powder to blends of SPEEK and PBl. 

Savinell and co-workers, [105-107], who have principally studied phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBl). Similar systems have been reported by He and co-workers [108], who in addition report the conductivities of PBl based membranes doped with PTA and zirconium hydrogen phosphate [108], Acid-base interactions in entirely polymeric systems have been reported by Kerres and co-workers [102], who prepared and stndied several membranes prepared by blending polymers with acidic (snlfonated-PEEK, sulfonated polyethersulfone) and basic (polybenzimidazole, poly-vinylpyridine) characteristics. Selected acid-base polymer systems are discnssed in the following. 

Sulfonated tetraamine and the corresponding sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [387] were also synthesized, where a strong acid medium was used as a polymerization solvent, allowing for the preparation of high molecular weight sFBI. The membranes prepared from the sFBI display low water uptake, but low ionic conductivities were reported. The specihc acid-base interactions between benzimidazole rings and... 

Chung, T.S., Xu, Z.L. (1998) Asymmetric hoUow fiber membranes prepared from miscible polybenzimidazole and polyetherimide blends. Journal of Membrane Science, 147, 35 7. 

Xu, H., Chen, K., Guo, X., Fang, J., Yin, J., Synthesis of novel sulfonated polybenzimidazole and preparation of cross-hnked membranes for fuel cell apphcation. Polymer 2007, 48, 5556-5564. 

Polybenzimidazols developed for heat-resistant resins were also applied to reverse osmosis membranes, first by Cellanese Corporation 67 68). The asymmetric poly-2,2 -(m-phenylene)-5,5 -dibenzimidazole membrane 18 was prepared from 3,3 -diamino-benzidine (79) and diphenyl isophthalate (20) and had a high water flux permeability,... 

To prepare new and inexpensive membranes, various trials have been made 196 sulfonated aromatic polyether membrane such as polyether ketones (PEEK),197 sulfonated polysulfone198 and membranes from sulfonated polyphenylene sulfide,199 phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole, (PBI),200 polybenzimidazole having sulfonic acid groups,201 polybenzimidazole with phosphonic acid groups,202 a blend membrane of polybenzimidazole and sulfonated polysulfone,203 sulfonated phosphazene polymer.204... 

M.Y. )ang, Y. Yamazaki, Preparation, characterization and proton conductivity of membrane based on zirconium tricarboxybutylphosphonate and polybenzimidazole for fuel cells. Solid State Ionics 167 (2004) 107-112. 

Chuang SW, Hsu SLC, Yang ML (2008) Preparation and characterization of fluOTine-containing polybenzimidazole/imidazole hybrid membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Eur Polym J 44 2202-2206... 

Feng S, Shang Y, Wang S, Xie X, Wang Y, Wang Y, et al. Novel method for the preparation of ionically crosslinked sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)/polybenzimidazole composite membranes via in situ polymerization. J Membr Sci 2010 346(1) 105-12. 

Copolymers with benzimidazole and benzoxazole units have been prepared and used as a polymer electrolyte material [30,11]. The polymer electrolyte material has both high proton conductivity and excellent mechanical properties even when it is obtained by in situ phosphoric acid doping. The polymer electrolyte material may substitute for the conventional phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, particularly in a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. 

Won Jh, Park Ys, Shin Ck, Chang Jh, Lee Bk, Henkensmeier D. Branched multiblock polybenzimidazole-benzamide copolymer and method for preparing the same, electrolyte membrane and paste/gel prepared therefrom. US patent 7 632 591, assigned to LG Chem, Ltd., Seoul, KR 2009. 

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