Long-range ordered straight holes manufacturing in polyimide for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

In this study, long-range ordered straight holes with definable open pattern and diameter of 100-200 μm were manufactured using a 355 nm Nd:YVO4 ultraviolet laser to sustain Nafion resin for durable proton exchange membranes. Composite proton exchange membrane prepared from the straight-hole polyimide support successfully reduced the dimensional swelling and humidity-induced stress of the proton exchange membrane under variable humidities. The effect of laser fluence and overlap rate on the size precision and quality of the straight holes were investigated. The thermodynamic mechanical capacity of composite proton exchange membrane and the single cell performance were also determined. The experimental results showed that long-range ordered straight holes with high precision and good quality could be achieved by laser trepanning with appropriate scanning speed, high repetition frequency and suitable laser fluence.