Synthesized and characterized high‐performance and low‐cost zirconium phosphate‐additive sulfonated polyethersulfone membranes for PEMFC

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, the preparation, characterization, and fuel cell performance tests of high‐performance and low‐cost zirconium phosphate (ZrP)‐additive sulfonated polyethersulfone (sPES) membranes, which may serve as a substitute for the commercial membrane used in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), were carried out. ZrP‐additive sPES membranes were prepared by solution casting method with different weight ratios (2.5%, 5%, and 9%). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), water uptake capacity (WUc), dynamic mechanical analysis, ion exchange capacity (IEx), degree of hydration, impedance analysis, and oxidative stability were used to characterize the created membranes. Ultimately, single‐cell performance experiments were used to evaluate the membranes' performance in real fuel cell environments. ZrP additive improved the WUc, mechanical properties, IEx, and proton conductivity properties of the membrane. WUc of the membranes enhanced by approximately 94% at 80°C, while the proton conductivity augment by approximately 47% with 9% ZrP by weight. 0.97 meq g−1 IEx was obtained for the sPES, whereas it was obtained as 1.41 meq g−1 for sPES‐9ZrP. Oxidative stability experiments for 120‐h determined that all synthesized membranes had a stable structure, and their weight losses varied between 68% and 85%. The sPES‐9ZrP exhibited very high values at 0.6 V, resulting in a power density of 680 mW cm−2 and a current density of 1100 mA cm−2. The results obtained are quite promising, and sPES and ZrP in composite membrane structures have high synergy.