Improved Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

直接甲醇燃料电池(DMFC)动力汽车预计将是未来的选择。然而，DMFC的发展一直受到一些技术挑战的阻碍，例如阳极中毒和甲醇通过聚合物电解质膜渗透到阴极室。电池电压损失约100-150 mV可归因于阴极室中存在甲醇；损失部分归因于混合电位现象，部分归因于阴极催化剂的失活。因此，需要开发一种膜电解液来防止或最小化甲醇的渗透。该提案涉及通过膜修饰来最小化甲醇渗透的某些方法。将使用某些惰性聚合物材料和全氟磺酸聚合物的组合来开发一种复合膜或叠层膜，它将显示出降低的甲醇渗透率，同时保持便捷的质子传输。被发现具有足够的离子导电性和降低的甲醇渗透率的膜将在以甲醇为燃料的PEM燃料电池中进行测试。

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) powered vehicles are foreseen as the choice of the future. However, the development of DMFC has been hampered by several technical challenges such as anode poisoning and permeation of methanol through the polymer electrolyte membrane into the cathode compartment. Approximately 100-150 mV loss in cell voltage can be attributed to the presence of methanol in the cathode compartment; part of the loss is attributable to the mixed potential phenomenon, and part to the inactivation of the cathode catalyst. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a membrane electrolyte that will prevent or minimize the permeation of methanol. This proposal addresses certain approaches toward minimizing methanol permeation through membrane modifications. A compounded or laminated membrane that will exhibit reduced methanol permeability, while maintaining facile proton transport will be developed using a combination of certain inert polymeric materials and perfluorosulfonic acid polymers. Membranes found to have adequate ionic conductivity and reduced methanol permeability will be tested in a PEM fuel cell with methanol as the fuel.