Pore-filling membranes

FIGURE 16.8 Stmcture of a pore-filled membrane. A responsive hydrogel is incorporated into the pores of the substrate membrane to form a stable composite membrane. 

Composite pore-filled membranes, which have a porous polymer structure filled with a polyelectrolyte as schematized in Figure 12.6, are receiving growing attention in the field of separation and purification and recently in fuel cell application (Yamaguchi et al. 2003). In these membranes, the porous polymer substrate acts as an inert host that constrains the swelling of an anchored polyelectrolyte and provides high mechanical strength for the obtained membranes. 

The pore-filling membrane concept can be applied to develop high-temperature membranes by using different substrates and polymer fill materials that have a high thermal and chemicaFelectrochemical durability (Fig. 10.15) [72]. An inorganic substrate can also be applied during membrane synthesis to... 

Systematic Design of Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Fuel Cells Using a Pore-Filling Membrane Concept... 

Pore-Filled Membrane Concept and Membrane Performance... 

Fig. 16.6 DMFC performance of MEAs using the pore-filling membrane or Nafion 117 membrane at 50°C under atmospheric pressure. Methanol concentration in the fuel was varied. (PtRu loading at the anode and Pt loading at the cathode were 1.9—2.0 mg cm and 0.9—1.1 mg cm ...

To develop polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells, our conceptual approach is a pore-filling membrane. 

The pore-filling membranes can reduce methanol crossover in wide range of methanol concentrations due to the suppression effect of the substrate matrix. A membrane-electrode assembly using pore-filling electrolyte membranes... 

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(acrylic acid-co-vinyl sulfonic acid) (PAAVS) or poly(acrylamide tert-butyl sulfonic acid) (PATBS) was used as the filling polymer, and PTFE, high-density cross-linked polyethylene (CLPE) or a polyimide (PI) was used as the substrate by Yamaguchi to prepare pore-filling membranes. PAAVS and PATBS have sulfonic acid groups of 0.7 and 4.5 mmol gm of polymer, respectively. 

In the configuration pore-fill membranes , Pd is not directly exposed on the surface and thus, for example, interaction with the catalyst is avoided (and so hot-spots problems are also reduced). 

Future work will address the improvement of permeation performance by (a) fabrication of Pd-Ag alloy pore-filled membranes (b) modification of the YSZ-7-AI2O3 composition and (c) plating conditions. 

Process of fabrication of Pd pore-filled membranes. (AfterTanaka... 

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