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Characterization of Composite Membranes Made from Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether sulfone) and Vermiculite with High Cation Exchange Capacity for DMFC Applications  

Kim, Deuk-Ju (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Institute, i-Cube Center, Gyeongsang National University)
Hwang, Hae-Young (Aekyung Petrochemical Co., LTD.)
Nam, Sang-Yong (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Engineering Research Institute, i-Cube Center, Gyeongsang National University)
Publication Information
Membrane Journal / v.21, no.4, 2011 , pp. 389-397 More about this Journal
Abstract
In this study, polymer composite membranes based on sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) were prepared using a solution casting method with different amount of vermiculite (VMT) content. The dispersion of VMT particles in the SPAES matrix was confirmed by means of a scanning electron microscopy observation. The composite membrane containing less than 1 wt% of VMT has a smooth skin on the top and bottom, which means there is a good dispersion of VMT in the matrix. The water uptake of the composite membranes gradually increases as the temperature increases, and the results confirm that all the adsorbed water is bound water because VMT has a strong water affinity on account of its high cation exchange value. A composite membrane with a VMT content of less than 1 wt% increases the proton conductivity and reduces the methanol permeability. Of all the composite membranes, the membrane SPAES/VMT 1.0 has the best fuel cell performance in terms of membrane selectivity. The performance value of SPAES/VMT 1.0 is double that of Nafion 112, which suggests that SPAES/VMT1.0 could be an excellent candidate for direct methanol fuel cells.
Keywords
DMFC; vermiculite; proton conductivity; methanol permeability; composite membrane;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 2  (Citation Analysis)
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