COMPOSITE MEMBRANES BASED ON SULFONATED POLYSULFONE AND NATURAL ZEOLITE FOR PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS

Proton conducting composite membranes have been prepared via binary mixtures comprising sulfonated polysulfone (SPSU) and natural zeolite (NZ). Polysulfone has been sulfonated in 1, 2-dichloroethane using the homogeneous method with trimethylsilyl chlorosulfonate as sulfonating agent. The ratio of monomer mol and trimethylsilyl chlorosulfonate was 1:1.5. Natural zeolite was activated in 1 M phosphoric acid and calcinated at 500 ̊C for 4 hours. The sulfonated polysulfone was added with zeolite at mass ratios of 1:0.5, 1:1 and 1:1.5. The manufacture of composite membranes has been done by evaporating dimethyl formamide of each mass ratios. The composite membranes were characterized by FT-IR, XRD analysis, and conductivity (σ). From the results of FT-IR spectra showed that interaction between sulfonated polysulfone and natural zeolite. From diffractogram showed that the diffractogram pattern after being blend with zeolite, the presence of crystal phase between 20-30 ̊ at 2θ. From the conductivity, the maximum proton conductivity was measured as 7.15 x 10 S/cm at 40 ̊C for mass ratios of 1: 0.5 and results, as well as literature data the possible proton conductivity mechanism of the membrane, has been modeled.