• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.457-466
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• 2008

The relation between the phase separated morphologies and their transport properties in the polymer blend membrane for direct methanol fuel cell application was studied. In order to enhance the proton conductivity and reduce the methanol crossover, sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymer, with a sulfonation of 60 mol% (sPAES-60), was blended with nonsulfonated poly(ether sulfone) copolymer (RH-2000, Solvay). Various morphologies were obtained by varying the drying condition and the concentration of the casting solution (10, 15, 20 wt%). The transport properties of proton and methanol molecule through the polymer blend membranes were studied according to the absorbed water. AC impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the proton conductivity and a liquid permeability measuring instrument was designed to measure the methanol permeability. The state of water in the blend membranes was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and was used to correlate the morphology of the membrane with the membrane transport properties.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.247-254
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• 2002

In order to develop the ion exchange membranes which would be used in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the polysulfone polymer was sulfonated using chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) and trimethylchlorosilane(TMCS). It has been characterized in terms of ion conductivities, methanol crossover, swelling degree and ion exchange capacities for the heat untreated and treated membranes at $150^{\circ}C.$ Typically, the methanol permeability and ion conductivity at the mole ratio of 1.4 between polysulfone repeating unit and sulfonating agents showed $2.87{\times}10^{-7}\; cm^2/s$(without heat treatment), $1.52{\times}10^{-7}\; cm^2/s$(with heat treatment) and $1.10{\times}10^{-2}\; S/cm$(without heat treatment), $0.87{\times}10^{-2}\;$ S/cm(with heat treatment), respectively. After the mole ration of 1.4 both values indicated mild increase.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.37-39
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• 2008

본 연구에서는 저온 데칼 전사법을 이용하여 막 전극 접합체(Membrane Electrode Assembly, MEA)를 제조하였다. 제조된 MEA는 직접 메탄올 연료 전지(Direct Methanol Fuel Cell, DMFC)를 이용하여 성능 테스트를 하였다. 저온 데칼 전사법은 $140^{\circ}C$의 낮은 온도에서 촉매 층을 데칼 기판에서 멤브레인으로 전사시키고, 전사된 촉매 층의 표면에 형성되는 것으로 알려진 이오노머 스킨 층의 형성을 막기 위해 이오노머/촉매/카본/기판의 구조로 되어 있는 데칼 기판을 사용한다. 저온 데칼 전사법으로 제조 된 카본 층이 있는 MEA의 DMFC 성능이 카본 층이 없이 데칼 전사법으로 제조된 MEA나 전통적인 고온 데칼 전사법으로 제조된 MEA, 또는 직접 스프레이 코팅법으로 제조된 MEA의 성능보다 높게 나온 것을 알 수 있다. 저온 데칼 전사법으로 제조된 MEA의 DMFC 성능이 향상된 것은 촉매 층 위에 이오노머 스킨이 형성되지 않아 반응물의 확산이 원활하게 이루어지기 때문이다. 이를 위한 특성 분석으로 EIS, CV를 측정하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.172-175
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• 2001

Nanophase catalyst layer for direct methanol fuel cell has been fabricated by magnetron sputtering method. Catalyst metal targets and carbon were sputtered simultaneously on the Nafion membrane surface at abnormally higher gas (Ar/He mixture) pressure than that of normal thin film processing. They could be coated as a novel structure of catalyst layer containing porous PtRu or Pt and carbon particles both in nanometer range. Membrane electrode assembly made with this layer led to a reduction of the catalyst loading. At the catalyst loading of 1.5mg $PtRu/cm^2$ for anode and 1mg $Pt/cm^2$ for cathode, it could provide $45 mW/cm^2$ in the operation at 2 M methanol, 1 Bar Air at 80"C. It is more than $30\%$ increase of the power density performance at the same level of catalyst loading by conventional method. This was realized due to the ultra fine particle sizes and a large fraction of the atoms lie on the grain boundaries of nanophase catalyst layer and they played an important role of fast catalyst reaction kinetics and more efficient fuel path. Commercialization of direct methanol fuel cell for portable electronic devices is anticipated by the further development of such design.

• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2000

Performance of direct methanol fuel cell using high porous active carbon as an uncatalysed diffusion layer in anode (composite electrode) has been evaluated. Effects of porous active carbon in anode were investigated by galvanostatic method and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. The single cell was operated with 2.5 M methanol at temperature of $80-120^{\circ}C$ and showed performance of $210-510\;mA/cm^2$ at 0.4V. By replacing conventional electrode with composite electrode, the increment of $290\;mA/cm^2$ in current density was obtained at $90^{\circ}C$and 0.4V. The potential decay of the single cell was about 14.5% for 20 days operation.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.656-659
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• 2009

직접메탄올형 연료전지(Direct Methanol Fuel Cell)는 휴대용으로 사용할 수 있는 소형 전원용으로 주로 개발되고 있으며, 다양한 용도로 사용이 가능하다. 하지만 직접메탄올연료전지에서 전해질로 많이 쓰이는 Nafion막은 이를 통한 메탄올 크로스오버(Crossover) 때문에 연료전지의 성능을 제한시키고 있다. 본 연구에서는 Nafion 117를 사용하여 전극 면적 100cm2 의 DFMC용 MEA를 제작하고, 공기 유량을 3ml/mim으로 고정하고, 메탄올 유량을 2,3 ml/min로 각각 공기극와 연료극에 공급하여 온도변화(50, 60, 70, $80^{\circ}C$)에 따른 성능을 확인하였다. DMFC의 적당 반응 온도는 $70^{\circ}C$로 생각되고, 유량은 메탄올 2ml/min, 공기 3ml/min유량 공급시가 성능이 높게 나오는 결과를 얻으나 일정시간 지나면 성능이 메탄올 3ml/min, 공기 3ml/min유량 공급시 보다 성능이 떨어지는 현상이 일어나기 때문에 $70^{\circ}C$ 반응온도에 메탄올 3ml/min, 공기 3ml/min의 유량 공급이 본 논문에서 최적화된 성능을 내는 조건으로 사료된다.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1999.07d
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• pp.1870-1872
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• 1999

Performance of 20-cell stack for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was tested at constant temperature. Electrode evaluation used to the stack was tested by the performance of a single cell. A new composite electrode prepared from active carbon cloth and high porous active carbon was developed for hydrophilic layer of the cell. Characteristics of a single cell using the composite electrode showed the current density of $500mA/cm^2$ at the cell voltage of 0.4V at $120^{\circ}C$. For the operating of 20 days. the cell voltage at constant cell current densty of $100mA/cm^2$ was slightly reduced from 0.62V to 0.53V with the cell voltage decay rate of 14.5%. Power of 20-cell stack at 5.3V, $100^{\circ}C$ was about 180W.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.282-286
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• 2009

The synthesis and characterization of catalysts supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). $Pt/Au/TiO_2$ is added to a CNTs(cabon nano tube) carbon support to improve the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell. XRD and SEM showed that uniform anatase $TiO_2$ and Pt/Au particles were about 200 nm and 20${\sim}$25 nm in diameter. The composite catalyst activities were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV), demonstrating that it is more promising for use in fuel cells.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.505-506
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• 2008

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is a promising power source for portable applications due to many advantages such as simple construction, compact design, high energy density, and relatively high energy-conversion efficiency. In this work, an electrochemical methanol sensor for monitoring the methanol concentration in direct methanol fuel cells was fabricated using a thin composite nafion membrane as the electrolyte. We have analyzed the I-V characteristic of the fabricated methanol sensor as a function of methanol concentration, catalyst electrode and platinum(Pt) dot.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.07d
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• pp.1358-1360
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• 1997

In this paper, the performance of Pt/$WO_3$ and Pt-$WO_3$ electrodes was studied for the direct methanol fuel cell. The characteristics of Pt/$WO_3$ electrode which was prepared by using electrodeposition method was tested with half-cell experiment. The characteristics of Pt-$WO_3$/C electrode which was Prepared by using freeze-drying method was tested with a single cell experiment. The performance of DMFC single cell which was prepared by Pt-$WO_3/C$ and Pt/C showed a current density of $32mA/cm^2$ at $110^{\circ}C$ & 0.3V(0.5mg Pt/$cm^2$).