Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1291403 | Journal of Power Sources | 2008 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
This paper reports the development and characterization of sulfonated polysulfone (SPSf) polymer electrolytes for direct methanol fuel cells. The synthesis of sulfonated polysulfone was performed by a post sulfonation method using trimethyl silyl chlorosulfonate as a mild sulfonating agent. Bare polysulfone membranes were prepared with two different sulfonation levels (60%, SPSf-60 and 70%, SPSf-70), whereas, a composite membrane of SPSf-60 was prepared with 5 wt% silica filler. These membranes were investigated in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) operating at low (30-40 °C) and high temperatures (100-120 °C). DMFC power densities were about 140 mW cmâ2 at 100 °C with the bare SPSf-60 membrane and 180 mW cmâ2 at 120 °C with the SPSf-60-SiO2 composite membrane. The best performance achieved at ambient temperature using a membrane with high degree of sulfonation (70%, SPSf-70) was 20 mW cmâ2 at atmospheric pressure. This makes the polysulfone-based DMFC suitable for application in portable devices.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
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Authors
F. Lufrano, V. Baglio, P. Staiti, A.S. Arico', V. Antonucci,