Development of proton conducting biopolymer membrane based on agar–agar for fuel cell

Abstract

A proton-conducting polymer electrolyte based on agar and ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) has been prepared through solution casting technique. The prepared polymer electrolytes were characterized by impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Impedance analysis shows that sample with 60 wt.% NH4NO3 has the highest ionic conductivity of 6.57 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature. As a function of temperature, the ionic conductivity exhibits an Arrhenius behaviour increasing from 6.57 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature to 1.09 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 70 °C. Transport parameters of the samples were calculated using Wagner’s polarization method and thus shows that the increase in conductivity is due to the increase in the number of mobile ions. Fuel cell has been constructed with the highest proton conductivity polymer 40agar/60NH4NO3 and the open circuit voltage is found to be 558 mV.