SBIR Phase II: Ultrathin Polymer Electrolyte Composites with Exceptional Conductivity, Mechanical Strength and Chemical Durability

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一类新的增强聚合物，以推进可再生氢和清洁能源设备，如电解槽和燃料电池。所提出的材料将解决当前实践状态解决方案的高材料成本，毒性和适度性能。支持和制造创新提高了机械性能和耐用性，并通过专门针对预期应用的工程降低了材料成本。该设备将减少40%的资本支出，并将耐用性提高3倍。SBIR二期项目将解决增强碱性交换膜（rAEMs）的性能、耐久性和规模问题。该项目将推动具有高机械性能和耐久性的raem的发展；该项目将开发介孔支架，以达到更高的质量。提出的化学创新将通过提高离子迁移率和利用聚合物电解质中的亲疏水相分离动力学来改善电化学性能。该项目将推进非铂催化剂膜电极组件（MEA）的创新，进一步降低设备成本。技术目标包括rAEM的性能和耐久性（稳定性1000小时，ASR 0.08欧姆-cm2，氢氧化物电导率25 mS/cm，应力30 MPa，膨胀15%），燃料电池中的MEAs（电流密度800 mA/cm2, 0.65V @ 60℃，超过50小时），电解槽中的MEAs（电流密度750 mA/cm2, 1.8V @ 60℃，超过100小时），以及成功将非铂电极纳入MEAs。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop a new class of reinforced polymers that advance renewable hydrogen and clean energy devices, such as electrolyzers and fuel cells. The proposed materials will address the high materials costs, toxicity, and modest performance of current state-of-practice solutions. The support and fabrication innovations enhance mechanical performance and durability and reduce materials costs by engineering specifically for the intended applications. The proposed device will generate capital expenditure reductions of 40% and improve durability by 3x. This SBIR Phase II project will address performance, durability and scale issues of reinforced Alkaline Exchange Membranes (rAEMs). The project will advance the development of rAEMs with high mechanical performance and durability; the project will develop mesoporous supports to achieve higher quality. Proposed chemical innovations will improve electrochemical performance by boosting ion mobility and exploiting hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase separation dynamics in the polymer electrolyte. The project will advance innovations of Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA) with non-platinum catalysts to further reduce device cost. Technical goals include performance and durability of the rAEM (stability for 1,000h, ASR 0.08 Ohm-cm2, hydroxide conductivity 25 mS/cm, Stress @ break 30 MPa, 15% swelling), MEAs in fuel cells (current density 800 mA/cm2 at 0.65V @ 60 degrees C over 50h) MEAs in electrolyzers (current density 750 mA/cm2 at 1.8V @ 60 degrees C over 100h), and successful incorporation of non-platinum electrodes into MEAs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.