SBIR PHASE I: A New Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Material for Direct Methanol/Air Fuel Cells

SBIR PHASE I：用于直接甲醇/空气燃料电池的新型聚合物电解质膜材料

• 批准号: 9561682
• 负责人: Kevin Gleason
• 金额: $ 7.5万
• 依托单位: TDA Research, Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-05-01 至 1996-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9561682&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; PHASE; New; Polymer; Electrolyte

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will address the problems associated with polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for direct methanol-air fuel cells. The advantages of fuel cells based on PEMs include simplicity of design, light weight, low operating temperature, improved catalytic activity, elimination of electrolyte loss from vaporization or redistribution within the cell stack, and reduced corrosion of cell materials. The membranes of choice in the majority of PEM fuel cells have been based on perfluorosulfonic acid polymers. When considered for use in direct methanol-air fuel cells, the greatest limitations of the perfluorosulfonic acid membranes are their cost, the rate of methanol transport across the membrane, and the requirement to maintain hydration of the membrane. The incompatibility of perfluorosulfonic acid membranes with methanol leads to a limited lifetime of the fuel cell as the membrane dissolves. Phase I will develop a solid polymer electrolyte that is not based on perfluorosulfonic acid polymers like Nafion, for application in direct methanol-air fuel cells. This non-perfluorosulfonic acid-based PEM will have high proton transport rates, will not transport methanol, will be stable in the presence of methanol, will be easy to process, and will operate at higher temperatures where carbon monoxide is less of a problem for the catalyst. This new solid polymer electrolyte material is expected to find use in PEM-based, direct methanol-air fuel cells, that would power the electric-car Next Generation Vehicle (NGV). Other potential applications include its use in polymer electrolyte batteries, electrochemical sensors, polymer-based acid catalysts, and chlor-alkali membranes.

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将解决与直接甲醇-空气燃料电池的聚合物电解质膜(PEM)相关的问题。基于质子交换膜的燃料电池具有设计简单、重量轻、工作温度低、催化活性高、消除了电解液在电池组内汽化或重新分布的损失、减少了对电池材料的腐蚀等优点。大多数PEM燃料电池中选择的膜都是基于全氟磺酸聚合物的。当被考虑用于直接甲醇-空气燃料电池时，全氟磺酸膜的最大限制是它们的成本、甲醇在膜上的传输速度以及保持膜的水化的要求。全氟磺酸膜与甲醇的不相容导致燃料电池在膜溶解时的有限寿命。第一阶段将开发一种不基于全氟磺酸聚合物(如Nafion)的固体聚合物电解质，用于直接甲醇-空气燃料电池。这种基于非全氟磺酸的PEM将具有高质子传输速率，不会传输甲醇，在甲醇存在下将保持稳定，易于加工，并将在一氧化碳对催化剂影响较小的较高温度下运行。这种新型固体聚合物电解质材料有望用于基于PEM的直接甲醇-空气燃料电池，为电动汽车下一代汽车(NGV)提供动力。其他潜在的应用包括用于聚合物电解液电池、电化学传感器、聚合物基酸催化剂和氯碱膜。