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Comparison between Nafion® and a Nafion® Zirconium Phosphate Nano‐Composite in Fuel Cell Applications
Author(s) -
Bauer F.,
WillertPorada M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
fuel cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.485
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1615-6854
pISSN - 1615-6846
DOI - 10.1002/fuce.200500217
Subject(s) - nafion , membrane , materials science , chemical engineering , direct methanol fuel cell , zirconium , composite number , ionic conductivity , membrane electrode assembly , conductivity , methanol , zirconium phosphate , chemical stability , electrode , composite material , phosphate , chemistry , electrochemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , biochemistry , anode , electrolyte , engineering
Abstract A comparative investigation of the electrical, mechanical, and chemical behaviour of zirconium phosphate‐Nafion® composite membranes and Nafion® by means of ex‐situ measurements, as well as with fuel cell operation, reveals a slight reduction of ionic conductivity, a significant improvement of mechanical stability, and increased water retention for the composite materials. The overall efficiency at 130 °C is increased during direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) operation because the reduction in the ionic conductivity is overcompensated for by the decrease in methanol crossover. With H 2 as the fuel, the slight reduction in overall efficiency corresponds to the decrease in ionic conductivity. The dimensional stability of the membrane and the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is significantly improved for operating temperatures above 100 °C. A model for the microstructure‐property relation for PFSA‐Zr(HPO 4 ) 2 · n H 2 O composite membranes is presented, based on the experimental results from membranes with varying filler contents and distributions, obtained through different synthesis routes. It is aimed at the improvement of water distribution in the membrane upon fuel cell operation.