Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5200807 | Polymer Degradation and Stability | 2017 | 54 Pages |
Abstract
The stability of SPEEK/Cloisite®/triaminopyrimidine (SP/CL/TAP) nanocomposite membrane against radical attack during DMFC operation was elucidated by the Fenton reagent test. The nanocomposite membrane was soaked in the Fenton reagent solution with 0.8-50Â ppm iron salts concentration for up to 96Â h. The results indicate that presence of Cloisite® inorganic particles can improve the stability of SP/CL/TAP nanocomposite membrane against the radical attack. FT-IR characterization combined with DFT study has shown that CâOâC and âSO3H bonding with phenylene ring, and hydrogen bonding between SPEEK, Cloisite®, and TAP are vulnerable to the radical attack. Loss of these functional groups has caused structural deformation, deterioration of mechanical strength, and changes of hydrophilicity in the SP/CL/TAP nanocomposite membrane. Additionally, changes in its chemical structure have caused its water uptake, proton conductivity, and methanol barrier properties to drop, up to 2Â ÃÂ higher than the Nafion® 117 membrane. However, the selectivity value of the SP/CL/TAP nanocomposite membrane (27,037Â Sâs/cm3) remains higher than the Nafion® 117 membrane (3292Â Sâs/cm3) due to its lower methanol permeability value (2.72Â ÃÂ 10â7Â cm2/s) as compared to Nafion® 117 membrane (2.95Â ÃÂ 10â6Â cm2/s). Based on the correlation graph, the SP/CL/TAP nanocomposite membrane could operate as PEM in the DMFC system up to 9800Â h. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the SP/CL/TAP nanocomposite membrane has good stability in DMFC harsh environment and suitable to be employed as PEM for high-performance and long lifespan DMFC system.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
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Authors
Muhammad Taufiq Salleh, Juhana Jaafar, Mohamad Azuwa Mohamed, M.N.A.M. Norddin, A.F. Ismail, M.H.D. Othman, Mukhlis A. Rahman, N. Yusof, F. Aziz, W.N.W. Salleh,