• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.695-700
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• 2014

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) can generate hydrogen and oxygen from water by electrolysis. But the electrode and polymer electrolyte membrane degrade rapidly during PEM water electrolysis because of high operation voltage over 1.7V. In order to reduce the rate of anode electrode degradation, unsupported $IrO_2$ catalyst was used generally. In this study, Pt/C catalyst for PEMFC was used as a water electrolysis catalyst, and then the degradation of catalyst and membrane were analysed. After water electrolysis reaction in the voltage range from 1.8V to 2.0V, I-V curves, impedance spectra, cyclic voltammograms and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were measured at PEMFC operation condition. The degradation rate of electrode and membrane increased as the voltage of water electrolysis increased. The hydrogen yield was 88 % during water electrolysis for 1 min at 2.0V, the performance at 0.6V decreased to 49% due to degradation of membrane and electrode assembly.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2021

The PEM(Proton Exchange Membrane)water electrolysis uses the same PEM electrolyte membrane as the PEM fuel cell and proceeds by the same reaction but the opposite direction. The PEM fuel cell has many methods of degradation analysis since many studies have been conducted on the degradation and durability of the membrane and catalyst. We examined whether PEM fuel cell durability evaluation method can be applied to PEM electrolytic durability evaluation. During the PEM electrolytic degradation process, LSV(Linear sweep voltammetry), CV(Cyclic voltammetry), Impedance, SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) and FT-IR(Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy) were analyzed and compared under the same conditions as the PEM fuel cell. As the PEM fuel cell, hydrogen passing through the membrane was oxidized at the Pt/C electrode, and the hydrogen permeation current density was measured to analyze the degree of degradation of the PEM membrane. Electrode degradation could be analyzed by measuring the electrode active area (ECSA) by CV under hydrogen/nitrogen flowing conditions. While supplying hydrogen and air to the Pt/C electrode and the IrO2 electrode, the impedance of each electrode was measured to evaluate the durability of the electrode and membrane.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2017

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composite including tungstophosphoric acid(TPA) membranes have been intensively investigated for polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) and thus covalently linked sulfonated polyether ether ketone (CL-SPEEK) with captured TPA composite membranes were prepared and characterized. Sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) was prepared in sulfonation of PEEK and was cross-linked with 1,4 diiodobutane. The carbonyl group of SPEEK was reduced with $NaBH_4$ and 3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane (ICPTES) was added. The TPA captured composite was prepared in reaction of TPA with 3-mercaptopropyltrime thoxysilane (MPTMS). The polymer composite membranes showed better thermostability and electrochemical properties than SPEEK. The membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method. The polymer composite membrane featured 0.1285 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$ and outstanding durability.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.478-484
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• 2016

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composite membranes have been intensively investigated for polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). Covalently linked (CL) sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) and cellulose polymer composite membranes were prepared and characterized. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and cellulose were sulfonated and then were covalently linked by 1,4-diiodobutane to produce covalently linked SPEEK and cellulose polymer composite membranes. The composite membranes showed better thermostability and electrochemical properties than SPEEK. The membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method. CL-SPEEK/Cellulose composite membrane featured 0.2453 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$ which was better than that of Nafion.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.478-482
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• 2017

Humidity control of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC) is very important control condition during driving. In terms of water management, low humidification conditions are advantageous, and high humidification is advantageous in terms of drainage utilization and energy efficiency. In this study, the characteristics of outlet water in low humidification and high humidification process were studied in terms of utilization of discharged water. Since the impurities in the effluent are generated during the degradation of the membrane and the electrode assembly(MEA), degradation of the MEA under low humidification and high humidification conditions was also studied. The rate of radical generation was high at low humidification condition of the anode RH 0%, which showed that it was the main cause of the degradation of the polymer membrane. Analysis of effluent showed low concentration of fluoride ion concentration of about 20 ppb at high humidification (both electrodes RH 100%) and 0.6 V, which was enough to be used as the feed water for electrolysis. Very low concentration of platinum below 0.2 ppb was detected in the condensate discharged from the high humidification condition.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.391-398
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• 2007

The covalently cross-linked sulfonated polyetheretherketone (CL-SPEEK) membrane was prepared by four-step synthesis of sulfonation-sulfochlorination, partial reduction, lithiation, and cross-linking, and its electrochemical and mechanical properties were investigated for water electrolysis application. The prepared ion exchange membranes showed good electrochemical and mechanical properties; proton conductivity of 0.116 S/cm at $80^{\circ}C$, water uptake of 44.6%, ion exchange capacity of 1.75 meq/g-dry-memb., tensile strength of 64.25 MPa and elongation of 61.11%. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with homemade membranes were prepared by non-equilibrium impregnation-reduction (I-R) method. Especially, the electrochemical surface area (ESA) and roughness factor of CL-SPEEK electrolyte by cyclic voltammetry method were 23.46 $m^2/g$ and 307.3 $cm^2-Pt/cm^2$, respectively. The prepared MEA was used in the unit cell of water electrolysis and the cell voltage was 1.81 V at 1 A/$cm^2$ and $80^{\circ}C$, with platinum loadings of 1.31 mg/$cm^2$.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.411-418
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• 2018

The polymer electrolyte membranes, CL-SPEEK/Cellulose composite membrane I, II, III with the improved electrochemical and mechanical properties were prepared and characterized. The engineering plastic polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and cellulose were sulfonated and cross-linked. The membranes were prepared by sol-gel casting method with different amount of cross-linking reagent. In conclusion, the composite membranes I, II, III showed improved thermostability, tensile strength and oxidative durability. Proton conductivity of the membranes was also improved and the composite membrane I showed 0.1312 S/cm at $80^{\circ}C$ which was the best of those composite membranes.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.338-344
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• 2017

Polyoxometal molybdophosphoric acid (MoPA) bonded polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composite membrane for water electrolysis has been investigated. The composited membrane, covalently cross linked (CL) sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) with a bonded MoPA, was prepared in sulfonation of PEEK, cross linkage reaction with 1,4-diiodobutane, and addition with MoPA. PEEK was covalently cross-linked with 1,4-diiodobutane to improve mechanical strength and was added with MoPA to increase proton conductivity. MoPA should be fixed to back bone of SPEEK to prevent bleeding out. Therefore, the carbonyl group of SPEEK was reduced with NaBH4 and 3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane (ICPTES) was added. The MoPA bonded composite was produced in the reaction of MoPA with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxvsilane (MPTMS). In conclusion, MoPA bonded CL-SPEEK composite membrane featured 0.129 S/cm of proton conductivity at $80^{\circ}C$, and 2,156 hours of chemical stability in Fenton test. These properties are better than those of membranes of other SPEEK system.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.151-160
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• 2014

CL-SPEEK/Cs-TPA/$CeO_2$ composite membrane was prepared for polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). In order to improve the electrochemical, mechanical, durabilities and electrocatalytic characteristics, engineering plastic of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as polymer matrix was sulfonated and the organic-inorganic blend composite membranes was prepared by loading cesium-substituted tungstophosphoric acid (Cs-TPA) by titration method with cross-linking agent contents of 0.01mL. Ceria ($CeO_2$) was used to scavenge free radicals which attack the membrane in the PEMWE circumstance and to increase the duration of the membrane. CL-SPEEK/$Cs_{(1)}$-TPA/CeriaIn conclusion, 1% membrane showed the optimum results such as 0.119 S/cm at $80^{\circ}C$ of proton conductivity and 62MPa of tensile strength.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2005

Proton conducting solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) membranes have been used in many energy technological applications such as water electolysis, fuel cells, redox-flow battery, and other electrochemical devices. The availability of stable membranes with good electrochemical characteristics as proton conductivity at high temperatures above 80 $^{\circ}C$ and low cost are very important for its applications. However, the presently available perfluorinated ionomers are not applicable because of high manufacturing cost and high temperature use to the decrease in the proton conductivity and mechanical strength. In order to make up for the weak points, the block copolymer (BPSf) of polysulfone and poly (phenylene sulfide sulfone) were synthesized and sulfonated. The electrolyte membranes were prepared with phosphotungstic acid (HPA)/sulfonated BPSf via solution blending. This study would be desirable to investigate the interaction between the HPA and sulfonated polysulfone. The results showed that the characteristics of SPSf/HPA blend membrane was a better than Nafion at high temperature, 100 $^{\circ}C$. These membranes proved to have a high proton conductivity, $6.29{\times}10-2$ S/cm, a water content, 23.9%, and a ion exchange capacity, 1.97 meq./g dry membrane. Moreover, some of the membranes kept their high thermal and mechanical stability.