Manufacture of Controlled Microstructure Proton Exchange Membranes

2004年，全球政府在燃料电池和氢基础设施上的支出超过15亿美元，据估计，到2007年，燃料电池系统的世界市场将增长10倍，到2012年将达到每年126亿美元。尽管在过去十年中在燃料电池技术方面取得了进展，但商业燃料电池发电的实施仍然存在重大障碍。当代燃料电池的关键缺点之一是质子交换膜（PEM），其用作质子转移的电解质和防止燃料的直接物理混合（例如，氢气、甲醇）和阳极和阴极处的氧气。本研究工作的目的是调查使用的溶液和熔体加工控制的PEM多组分，多相聚合物系统的微观结构，并了解控制的微观结构的影响的PEM的传输和机械性能。将被研究的聚合物系统包括聚合物共混物、嵌段共聚物和聚合物纳米复合材料。将开发用于制造膜的方法，并同时使用外部电场和磁场在质子传输的方向上定向导电相。多组分/多相体系的使用将允许将传输和机械性能解耦，这是当前PEM技术中的主要问题。膜在实际燃料电池环境中的性能将在校园内的燃料电池中心进行评估，该中心配备了制造膜电极组件（MEA）和燃料电池测试站的设施。该计划完全有望产生新的结果，这些结果将发表在科学期刊上，并在国家科学会议上发表。此外，该计划将培养学生在聚合物膜制造和燃料电池技术。 本科生将通过学年期间的独立学习或作为REU学生参加。代表性不足的少数民族学生和妇女将特别成为参与该项目的对象。将开发一个关于燃料电池技术的讲座和示范教学模块，并提供给高中和小学本科院校的学生和教职员工。还将与小学本科院校的科学和工程学院建立研究合作。工业界将通过IMS协会计划了解研究结果，该计划是康涅狄格大学材料科学研究所的一个工业推广计划。

Worldwide government spending for fuel cell and hydrogen infrastructure surpassed $1.5B in 2004, and it is estimated that world markets for fuel cells systems will grow tenfold by 2007 and reach $12.6 billion per year by 2012. Despite the gains that have been made in fuel cell technology over the last decade, major barriers to implementation of commercial fuel cell generation remain. One of the key shortcomings of contemporary fuel cells is the proton exchange membrane (PEM), which serves as the electrolyte for proton transfer and as the separator to prevent direct physical mixing of the fuel (e.g., hydrogen, methanol) and the oxygen at the anode and cathode. The objective of this research effort is to investigate the use of solution and melt processing to control the PEM microstructure of multicomponent, multiphase polymer systems and to understand the effect of the controlled microstructure on the transport and mechanical properties of the PEMs. The polymer systems that will be investigated include polymer blends, block copolymers and polymer nanocomposites. Methods will be developed for manufacturing membranes and simultaneously orienting the conductive phase in the direction of proton transport using external electrical and magnetic fields. Use of a multicomponent/multiphase system will allow one to decouple the transport and mechanical properties, which is a major problem in current PEM technology. Performance of the membranes in an actual fuel cell environment will be evaluated at an on-campus fuel cell center, equipped with facilities for manufacturing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and fuel cell test stations. The program is fully expected to produce novel results that will be published in scientific journals and presented at national scientific meetings. As well, this program will train students in polymer membrane manufacturing and fuel cell technology. Undergraduate students will participate either through independent studies during the academic year or as REU students. Under-represented minority students and women will be especially targeted for involvement in the project. A lecture and demonstration teaching module about fuel cell technology will be developed and offered to students and faculty at high schools and primarily-undergraduate colleges. Research collaborations will also be established with science and engineering faculty at primarily-undergraduate institutions. Industry will be exposed to the results of the research through the IMS Associates Program, an industrial outreach program in the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut.