SBIR Phase I: Nanocomposite Ionomers and Proton Exchange Membranes

SBIR第一阶段项目的广泛影响推动了氢技术在重型和超重型应用中的转化。氢经济可以在制造、运输、能源储存和建筑能源部门产生约2.5万亿美元的经济价值。 目前需要高湿度水平和低温操作的膜使重型燃料电池系统中的燃料电池热和水管理部件复杂化。该解决方案推进了新膜的开发，可作为低湿度和高温操作的替代品。该SBIR第一阶段项目将使用多孔聚合物支撑体将具有低湿度和高温质子传导性的纳米复合材料转化为质子交换膜的标准化解决方案。此外，复合材料将以高体积分数添加，以赋予机械稳定性和较低透气性的额外益处。项目活动包括将材料转化为支撑膜，膜复合材料配方优化，关键膜性能的测量以及燃料电池堆中的演示。如果成功，该项目将产生新的质子交换膜，使低湿度-高温条件下的操作，以简化燃料电池系统，同时延长系统的耐用性。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact of this SBIR Phase I project advances the translation of hydrogen technologies in heavy duty and ultra-duty applications. The hydrogen economy could generate an estimated $2.5 T in economic value in the manufacturing, transportation, energy storage, and building energy, sectors. Current membranes that require high humidity levels and low temperatures for operation complicates fuel cell thermal and water management components in heavy duty fuel cell systems. The proposed solution advances the development of a new membrane serving as a drop-in replacement to enable low humidity and elevated operating temperatures.This SBIR Phase I project will use porous polymer supports to translate a nanocomposite material that exhibits both low humidity and elevated temperature proton conductivity into a standardized solution for a proton exchange membranes. Furthermore, the composite materials will be added at high volume fractions to confer additional benefits in mechanical stability and lower gas permeability. The project activities include material translation into supported membranes, membrane composite formulation optimization, measurements of key membrane properties, and demonstration in a fuel cell stack. If successful, the project would yield new proton exchange membranes that enable operation under low humidity – elevated temperature conditions to simplify fuel cell systems while extending system durability.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.