Abstract
ABSTRACTBlends of PVA and 2-nitroso-1-naphtol-4-sulfonic acid (NNSA) ranging from 10 to 40 wt% were crosslinked in the presence of glutaraldehyde (GLA) to produce hybrid membranes. The structure and morphology of the hybrid membranes were studied by XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and elemental mapping experiments. The mechanical performance and thermal stability of the membranes were also examined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), respectively. Increasing the concentration of NNSA resulted in the improvement of mechanical and thermal performances of the membrane. The addition of NNSA and SiO2 to the solution of PVA makes the resultant hybrid membrane more hydrophilic, and therefore, the proton conductivity, water uptake and ion exchange capacity (IEC) improved. The highest proton conductivity value (0.18 S cm−1 at 30 °C) was found for the PVA/GLA/NNSA (40 wt%)/SiO2 (5 wt%) composite membrane. It was also demonstrated that the methanol permeability values decreased with increasing NNSA content.
Highlights
Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity, and have a wide range of applications
The PVA/GLA/nitroso-1-naphtol-4-sulfonic acid (NNSA) membranes were successfully fabricated by a solution casting method
The thermal and mechanical properties of the hybrid membranes were improved by increasing the NNSA content
Summary
Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity, and have a wide range of applications. Rhim et al [20] studied the proton conduction of the PVA/sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) membrane in which the SSA acts as a proton donor and a cross-linker agent. These cross-linked PVA/SSA membranes had the proton conductivity in the range of 10−3 to 10−2 S/cm and showed a reduced methanol permeability than Nafion 117. Kim et al [22] reported a novel cross-linked PVA/poly (styrene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) (PSSA-MA)/clay membrane with excellent resistance to methanol permeation (2.19 × 10−7 cm s−1) and good proton conductivity (0.023 S cm−1).
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