Development of MFC using sulphonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) membrane for electricity generation from waste water

Polyether ether ketone was sulphonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) and utilized as a proton exchange membrane (PEM) in a single chamber MFC (SCMFC). The SPEEK was compared with Nafion® 117 in the SCMFC using Escherichia coli. The MFC with the SPEEK membrane produced 55.2% higher power density than Nafion® 117. The oxygen mass transfer coefficient (KO) for SPEEK and Nafion® 117 was estimated to be 2.4 × 10−6 cm/s and 1.6 × 10−5 cm/s, respectively resulting in reduced substrate loss and increased columbic efficiency (CE) in the case of SPEEK. When the dairy and domestic waste water was treated in SPEEK–SCMFC, fitted with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a higher maximum power density was obtained for dairy waste water (5.7 W/m3). The results of this study indicate that SPEEK membrane has the potential to greatly enhance the efficiency of MFCs.

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► The study established the use of SPEEK membrane as alternate for the Nafion® 117.
► Enhanced power production was observed with SPEEK.
► Low oxygen diffusion property, resulted in high columbic efficiency.
► SPEEK could be used in the MFC to overcome the drawbacks of Nafion® 117.