Preparation of the acidic PVA/MMT nanocomposite polymer membrane for the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC)

Abstract

A novel nanocomposite polymer electrolyte membrane composed of PVA polymer matrix and nanosized Montmorillonite (MMT) filler, was prepared by a solution casting method. The characteristic properties of the PVA/MMT nanocomposite polymer membrane were investigated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), micro-Raman spectroscopy, and the AC impedance method. The PVA polymer directly blended with nanosized MMT filler (2–20 wt.%) showed good ionic conductivity, thermal, and mechanical properties. The highest ionic conductivity value for the acidic PVA/10 wt.%MMT nanocomposite polymer membrane was around 0.0368 S cm − 1 at 30 °C. The methanol permeability ( P) value was 3–4 × 10 − 6 cm 2 s − 1 . It was revealed that the addition of nanosized MMT fillers into the PVA matrix could markedly improve the electrochemical properties of the PVA/MMT nanocomposite membrane. In fact, the PVA/MMT nanocomposite polymer membrane appears to be a good candidate for the DMFC applications.