Abstract
Redox flow batteries have been recognized as promising electrochemical energy storage devices, due to independent power and energy scaling, long cycle life, fast response, and no self-discharge during storage. A crucial part of a redox flow cell is the membrane which separates the anolyte and catholyte containers. A membrane for vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) should be stable and exhibit high proton conductivity as well as low vanadium species permeability. Perfluorinated ion-exchange membranes such as Nafion® are currently among the most widely used separators for VRBs. However, the best-performance membranes recognized so far are generally expensive, and the crossover of vanadium species across the membrane is noticeable. Therefore, if a cheaper alternative membrane material is found, the cost efficiency of the battery will be improved. We have evaluated earlier the applicability of membranes based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in redox-flow batteries using VBR as a model system. It has been shown that the tuning of PAN material microstructure via phase separation and/or hydrolysis provides the desired balance of proton conductivity and vanadium species permeability. The overall energy efficiency of the VBR cell built using the PAN-based membranes has been found comparable to that determined with Nafion® membranes. In this contribution, we extended this approach to the manufacture of membranes based on polysulfone (PS). The porosity and hydrophilicity of the PS membranes was tuned via phase separation, incorporation of polymeric (poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone) or inorganic (silica) additives, and the procedure of the membrane conditioning. Major physico-chemical properties of the membranes (ion conductivity and water permeability) were systematically measured, and the operation of the model VRB assembled using the PS-based membranes was evaluated in comparison with the PAN and Nafion® membranes. This study was financially supported by Russian Science Foundation (project no. 17-73-30006).
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
