Performance of a direct methanol fuel cell using flexible proton-conducting glass-based composite membrane

Abstract

A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with a proton-conducting composite membrane, which is synthesized from Nafion®/phosphosilicate (NPS) glass and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) polymer, is prepared, and its performance is evaluated at different cell temperatures, methanol flow rates, and oxygen backpressures. The methanol permeability of the NPS/SPEEK composite membrane is determined to be 7.5 × 10−7 cm2 s−1. The developed DMFC releases a peak power density of 73.1 mW cm−2 at a cell temperature of 85 °C.