Preparation and Characterization of an Eco-Friendly Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Based in a Blend of Sulphonated Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/ Chitosan Mechanically Stabilised by Nylon 6,6

Abstract

Membranes for fuel cell applications were prepared using two polymer blends: poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) and chitosan (CS), 80/20 (w/w) and 60/40 (w/w) with and without nylon. Sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) was used both as a crosslinking and a sulfonating agent. An increasing in the SSA content raised ionic exchange capacity and consequently proton conductivity in the membranes. The addition of nylon has improved membrane mechanical properties by decreasing stiffness. Membranes presented good proton conductivity (around 10 -2 S cm -1 ) and lower H 2 and methanol permeability rather than the standard membrane Nafion ® 115. Membranes which showed to be stable under fuel cell operation were tested using hydrogen and methanol fuels. Membrane PVAL:CS, 80/20 (w/w), containing SSA crosslinker, (PVAL+CS)/SSA, of 4/1 (mol/mol), has shown the best performance under fuel cell environment. However, results have shown that an improvement is required in the adhesion between the membrane and the electrodes.

Development of Polymeric Membranes for Oil/Water Separation

“…Pores were also available at the surface, which confirmed the ultrafiltration structure [ 27 ]. Cavities were available across the cross-section of the membrane separated by a honeycomb structure ( Figure 3 ).…”

“…Generally, polar solvents like DMSO and Formic Acid are considered to be the best solvents for casting CA membranes as they precipitate rapidly when immersed in water and thus produce anisotropic membranes with high pore density and high flux. As reported, DMSO has the lowest water contact angle but the highest hydrophilicity [ 27 ]. Therefore, in this work, DMSO and Formic Acid have been used as solvents.…”

Engineering of Interfacial Energy Bands for Synthesis of Photoluminescent 0D/2D Coupled MOF Heterostructure with Enhanced Selectivity toward the Proton-Exchange Membrane

“…On the other hand, Pd is well-known to be an effective medium for hydrogen and can easily form palladium hydride and therefore widely used in the methanol-blocking PEM for its potential function of proton conduction. Especially, the Pd particles of 1.8 nm are smaller than the SO 3 cluster (about 4 nm) but larger than SO 3 cluster-bridge channels (about 1 nm) . It makes these particles anchor to SO 3 clusters without entering into the SPEEK membrane (Figure ).…”

“…Especially, the Pd particles of 1.8 nm are smaller than the SO 3 cluster (about 4 nm) but larger than SO 3 cluster-bridge channels (about 1 nm). 59 It makes these particles anchor to SO 3 clusters without entering into the SPEEK membrane (Figure 9). Additionally, the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged Pd NPs and the negatively charged SO 3 H groups results in attachment of Pd NPs on the SPEEK membrane surface.…”

Overview of Membrane Science and Technology in Portugal

“…Oliveira and Mendes [169] prepared eco-friendly polymer electrolyte membranes based on a blend of sulphonated poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan stabilised by nylon 6,6, using sulfosuccinic acid both as a crosslinker and sulfonating agent. The membranes presented good proton conductivity (ca.…”