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Solvent‐free fabrication of proton‐conducting membranes based on commercial elastomers
Author(s) -
He Shaojian,
Lin Yankai,
Wei Zheng,
Zhang Liqun,
Lin Jun,
Nazarenko Seigei
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
polymers for advanced technologies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1581
pISSN - 1042-7147
DOI - 10.1002/pat.3443
Subject(s) - elastomer , materials science , membrane , natural rubber , solvent , nafion , conductivity , composite material , chemical engineering , proton , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , chemistry , electrode , electrochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , biochemistry , engineering
Five different types of elastomers were examined as the matrix materials in the preparation of non‐fluorinated proton exchange membranes utilizing a solvent‐free route via the in situ reaction of sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate (NaSS). The morphology of the elastomer/NaSS vulcanizates was studied to evaluate the effect of polarity, viscosity and saturation degree of the elastomer matrixes. Much better dispersion of NaSS was found in chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber (CSM) and hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) matrixes than in the other three types of elastomer matrixes. For CSM/NaSS and HNBR/NaSS proton exchange membranes, distinctive membrane properties were observed and correlated with their different structure and morphologies. The CSM/NaSS membranes exhibited the proton conductivity as high as ~0.03 S cm −1 and the selectivity (the ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeability) higher than that of Nafion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.