• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.177-180
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• 2005

A series of inorganic-organic hybrid membranes were prepared with a systematic variation of titanium dioxide nano particles content. Their liquid uptake, methanol permeability and proton conductivity as a function of inorganic oxide content were investigated. The results obtained show that the inorganic oxide network decreases the proton conductivity and liquid uptake. It is also found that increase in inorganic oxide content leads to decrease of methanol permeability. In terms of the morphology, membranes are homogeneous and exhibit a good adhesion between inorganic domains and the polymer matrix. The properties of the composite membranes are compared with the standard nafion membrane.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.95.2-95.2
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• 2011

In order to achieve high performance and low cost for commercial applications, the development of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), in which the electrochemical reactions actually occur, must be optimized. Expensive platinum is currently used as an electrochemical catalyst due to its high activity. Although various platinum alloys and non-platinum catalysts are under development, their stabilities and catalytic activities, especially in terms of the oxygen reduction (ORR), render them currently unsuitable for practical use. Therefore, it is important to decrease platinum loading by optimizing the catalysts and electrode microstructure. In this study, we prepared several different MEAs (non-uniform Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer loading electrode) which have dual catalyst layers to find the optimal Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer distribution in the electrodes. We changed Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer content in the layers to find the ideal composition of the binder and Pt/C in the electrode. For MEAs with various ionomer contents in the anodes and cathodes, the electrochemical activity (activation overpotential) and the mass transport properties (concentration overpotential) were analyzed and correlated with the single cell performance. The dual catalyst layers MEA showed higher cell performance than uniformly fabricated MEA, especially at the high current density region.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.421-424
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• 2006

Nafion/Pt/Polypyrrole composite membranes were fabricated by chemical in-situ polymerization of pyrrole monomers with Pt precursors in Nafion matrix for DMFC. We demonstrated that positively charged pyrrolinum groups of polypyrrole particles were co-interacted with sulfonic groups of Nafion as verified by FT-IR results. Mutual interaction between $Nafion-SO_3^-$ (or negatively charged Pt precursors) and Polypyrrole$-NH_2^+$ influenced the physical properties of pristine Nafion. Thermal property proton conductivity, methanol permeability, and cell performance of pristine and modified Nafion were analyzed for an application of DMFC membrane. Thermal stabilities of sulfonic groups and side chains in Nafion/Pt/polypyrrole composite membranes were higher than those of Nafion due to mutual interaction between sulfonic groups of Nafion and pyrrolinum groups of polypyrrole. Methanol permeabilities of Nafion/Pt/Polypyrrole composite were reduced more proton conductivities with the increase in the content of Pt particles. As a result of that, the enhancement of cell performance by Nafion/Pt/Polypyrole O2 relative to Nafion was more pronounced under the specific experimental condition such as high temperature and more concentrated methanol solution.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2012

The efficiency and life time of the Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system is critically affected by incoming gas with humidity which should be maintained properly at normal operating conditions. Typically, incoming gas of automotive fuel cell is humidified by external humidifier but the characteristics of device is rarely reported. In this study, characteristics of water transfer in the membrane humidifiers have been experimentally investigated for flow rates of gas and for different flow arrangement under steady state condition. At first, capability of mass transfer through the membrane is examined at constant temperature. Then, the temperature distribution effect on the capability of mass transfer is tested over various inlet conditions. In summary, this research presents the mass transfer capability of hydrophilic membrane over various operating conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.131-136
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• 2011

Many researchers are recently studying about Electroactive polymer(EAP). But it has a physical limitation, because of property of material. Carbon nanotube(CNT) is known as the promising material which has excellent electro-mechanical characteristics and is mostly defect-free. It is expected that a successful synthesis of CNT and Nafion known as a primary material for IPMC would make a great improvement on its electro-mechanic feature. This study focuses on the method of synthesis of CNT with Nafion which improves electro-mechanical characteristic. To come up with mechanical dispersion with Nafion and Isopropyl Alcohol(IPA), we dispersed Single-walled carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs). For a uniformly layer of CNT, we used a spray gun on a hot plate by a simplified method. We fabricated a disperse SWCNT/Nafion composite uniformly. Through the use of the E-beam evaporator to form an uniform electrode layer, we consummated the IPMC actuator. This result shows improving 1.5 times mechanical properties about driving force in IPMC.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.129-132
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• 2007

고분자 전해질 연료전지의 성능에 영향을 주는 많은 인자들 중에서도 촉매층의 조성과 구조의 최적화는 성능변화에 큰 요인으로 작용 된다. 촉매층내 반응 활성점인 삼상계면을 형성시키기 위해 함침하는 Nafion binder를 anode와 cathode의 두 전극에 이온당량(Equivalent weight, EW)이 동일하게 함침시켜 그 성능을 확인하였다. 그 결과를 토대로 anode와 cathode에 이온당량을 각기 다르게 하여 각각의 전극마다 이온당량이 미치는 영향에 대해서도 살펴보았다. Anode와 cathode의 이온당량을 동일하게 EW1100, EW1000, EW900으로 변화 시켜주었을 경우 이온당량의 물성치가 상대적으로 향상된 EW900의 단위 전지 성능이 가장 우수하였으며, 이온당량이 EW900이었을 때 최적의 Nafion binder 함침량은 EW1100의 Nafion binder 함침량과 동일하였다. Anode와 cathode에 함침하는 Nafion binder의 이온당량을 각각 EW1100과 EW900, EW900과 EW1100으로 MEA를 제조하여 전극에 따라 이용당량이 미치는 영향을 살펴보았다.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 2012

Nafion ionomer located in electrode helps to increase the platinum utilization and proton conductivity. To achieve higher performance in PEMFCs, it is important an optimum Nafion content in the electrode. As the platinum loading and fabricated method depend on the optimum Nafion content. In this study, we have examined the interrelationship between platinum loading and Nafion content fabricated by decal transfer method. For electrodes with 0.25 and 0.4 mg/$cm^2$ Pt loading, best performance was obtained at 25 wt.% Nafion ionomer loading. It is also found that MEA with 0.25 mg/$cm^2$ Pt, the optimum Nafion content appears differently at low and high current density.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.87.1-87.1
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• 2011

For commercial applications, MEA development must be optimized in order to achieve high performance and low cost. There are many factors that affect the performance of MEA. Especially, the optimization of the method for preparing catalyst layer has great effect on the performance of MEA. Various methods have been used to prepare the catalyst layer of MEA. Among them, spraying method has a merit in that catalysis lay can be prepared with very flexible changes in catalyst layer as well as in the solvent composition of catalyst ink. In addition, in order to reduce the time required for manufacturing catalyst layer, an effort has been made to change the nozzle size and injection pressure of spray system. Further, the operation condition of spray system was changed in various ways in an effort to prepare optimum catalyst layer of MEA. Having optimized the operation condition of spraying system, comprehensive and diverse experiments were carried out concerning various factors that affect the performance of MEA. The present research report describes the results of more sub-categorized and more detailed experiments about the important factors (Nafion$^{(R)}$ ionomer, Relative humidity) which have been shown in previous experiments to exert greater effect on the performance of MEA.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.400-407
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• 2011

The stress distribution and stress amplitude of a membrane are major factors to decide the mechanical fatigue life of PEMFC (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell). In this paper, mechanical stresses under operating hygro-thermal condition of the membrane are numerically modelled. Contact analysis between gas diffusion layer (GDL) and the membrane is performed under various temperature-humidity conditions. The structural model has nonlinear material properties depending on temperature and relative humidity. Several geometric conditions are applied to the model. The numerical analysis results indicate that deformations of the membrane are strongly related with assembly conditions of the fuel cell. The fatigue life is predicted for practical operating condition through experimental data.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.171-179
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• 2015

Perfluorinated sulfonic acid ionomers (PFSAs) have been widely as solid electrolyte materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, since they exhibit excellent chemical durability under their harsh application conditions as well as good proton conductivity. Even PFSA materials, however, suffer from physical failures associated with repeated membrane swelling and deswelling, resulting in fairly reduced electrochemical lifetime. In this study, pore-filling membranes are prepared by impregnating a Nafion ionomer into the pore of a porous PTFE support film and their fundamental characteristics are evaluated. The developed pore-filling membranes exhibit extremely high proton conductivity of about $0.5S\;cm^{-1}@90^{\circ}C$ in liquid water.