Nafion®/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Yaowapa Treekamol; Mauricio Schieda; Lucie Robitaille; Sean M. MacKinnon; Asmae Mokrini; Zhiqing Shi; Steven Holdcroft; Karl I. Schulte; Suzana Pereira Nunes

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.01.178

Nafion®/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Yaowapa Treekamol, Mauricio Schieda, Lucie Robitaille, Sean M. MacKinnon, Asmae Mokrini, Zhiqing Shi, Steven Holdcroft, Karl I. Schulte, Suzana Pereira Nunes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

A series of composite membranes were prepared by dispersing fluorinated polyoxadiazole oligomer (ODF)-functionalized silica nanoparticles in a Nafion matrix. Both melt-extrusion and solvent casting processes were explored. Ion exchange capacity, conductivity, water uptake and dimensional stability, thermal stability and morphology were characterized. The inclusion of functionalized nanoparticles proved advantageous, mainly due to a physical crosslinking effect and better water retention, with functionalized nanoparticles performing better than the pristine silica particles. For the same filler loading, better nanoparticle dispersion was achieved for solvent-cast membranes, resulting in higher proton conductivity. Filler agglomeration, however,was more severe for solvent-castmembranes at loadings beyond 5wt.%. The composite membranes showed excellent thermal stability, allowing for operation in medium temperature PEM fuel cells. Fuel cell performance of the compositemembranesdecreaseswithdecreasing relativehumidity, but goodperformance values are still obtained at 34% RHand 90 °C,with the best results obtained for solvent castmembranes loaded with 10 wt.% ODF-functionalized silica. Hydrogen crossover of the composite membranes is higher than that forpureNafion membranes,possiblydue toporosityresulting fromsuboptimalparticle- matrixcompatibility. © 2013 Crown Copyright and Elsevier BV. All rights reserved.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	950-959
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Power Sources
Volume	246
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.01.178
State	Published - Jan 2014

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank S. Neumann and Dr. T. Emmler for their contribution to the SEM, and thermal characterizations; F. Vachon, N. Raymond, and P. Le Marquand for their contribution to membrane and MEA processing and characterization. The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by the NRC-Helmholtz Association Cooperation project on MEAs for high temperature fuel cells. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge the editor's insightful comments.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.01.178

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@article{e7a1056416ed4bc9aba2b13f86d99ea9,

title = "Nafion{\textregistered}/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells",

abstract = "A series of composite membranes were prepared by dispersing fluorinated polyoxadiazole oligomer (ODF)-functionalized silica nanoparticles in a Nafion matrix. Both melt-extrusion and solvent casting processes were explored. Ion exchange capacity, conductivity, water uptake and dimensional stability, thermal stability and morphology were characterized. The inclusion of functionalized nanoparticles proved advantageous, mainly due to a physical crosslinking effect and better water retention, with functionalized nanoparticles performing better than the pristine silica particles. For the same filler loading, better nanoparticle dispersion was achieved for solvent-cast membranes, resulting in higher proton conductivity. Filler agglomeration, however,was more severe for solvent-castmembranes at loadings beyond 5wt.%. The composite membranes showed excellent thermal stability, allowing for operation in medium temperature PEM fuel cells. Fuel cell performance of the compositemembranesdecreaseswithdecreasing relativehumidity, but goodperformance values are still obtained at 34% RHand 90 °C,with the best results obtained for solvent castmembranes loaded with 10 wt.% ODF-functionalized silica. Hydrogen crossover of the composite membranes is higher than that forpureNafion membranes,possiblydue toporosityresulting fromsuboptimalparticle- matrixcompatibility. {\textcopyright} 2013 Crown Copyright and Elsevier BV. All rights reserved.",

author = "Yaowapa Treekamol and Mauricio Schieda and Lucie Robitaille and MacKinnon, {Sean M.} and Asmae Mokrini and Zhiqing Shi and Steven Holdcroft and Schulte, {Karl I.} and Nunes, {Suzana Pereira}",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank S. Neumann and Dr. T. Emmler for their contribution to the SEM, and thermal characterizations; F. Vachon, N. Raymond, and P. Le Marquand for their contribution to membrane and MEA processing and characterization. The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by the NRC-Helmholtz Association Cooperation project on MEAs for high temperature fuel cells. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge the editor's insightful comments.",

year = "2014",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.01.178",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "246",

pages = "950--959",

journal = "Journal of Power Sources",

issn = "0378-7753",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Nafion®/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

AU - Treekamol, Yaowapa

AU - Schieda, Mauricio

AU - Robitaille, Lucie

AU - MacKinnon, Sean M.

AU - Mokrini, Asmae

AU - Shi, Zhiqing

AU - Holdcroft, Steven

AU - Schulte, Karl I.

AU - Nunes, Suzana Pereira

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank S. Neumann and Dr. T. Emmler for their contribution to the SEM, and thermal characterizations; F. Vachon, N. Raymond, and P. Le Marquand for their contribution to membrane and MEA processing and characterization. The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by the NRC-Helmholtz Association Cooperation project on MEAs for high temperature fuel cells. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge the editor's insightful comments.

PY - 2014/1

Y1 - 2014/1

N2 - A series of composite membranes were prepared by dispersing fluorinated polyoxadiazole oligomer (ODF)-functionalized silica nanoparticles in a Nafion matrix. Both melt-extrusion and solvent casting processes were explored. Ion exchange capacity, conductivity, water uptake and dimensional stability, thermal stability and morphology were characterized. The inclusion of functionalized nanoparticles proved advantageous, mainly due to a physical crosslinking effect and better water retention, with functionalized nanoparticles performing better than the pristine silica particles. For the same filler loading, better nanoparticle dispersion was achieved for solvent-cast membranes, resulting in higher proton conductivity. Filler agglomeration, however,was more severe for solvent-castmembranes at loadings beyond 5wt.%. The composite membranes showed excellent thermal stability, allowing for operation in medium temperature PEM fuel cells. Fuel cell performance of the compositemembranesdecreaseswithdecreasing relativehumidity, but goodperformance values are still obtained at 34% RHand 90 °C,with the best results obtained for solvent castmembranes loaded with 10 wt.% ODF-functionalized silica. Hydrogen crossover of the composite membranes is higher than that forpureNafion membranes,possiblydue toporosityresulting fromsuboptimalparticle- matrixcompatibility. © 2013 Crown Copyright and Elsevier BV. All rights reserved.

AB - A series of composite membranes were prepared by dispersing fluorinated polyoxadiazole oligomer (ODF)-functionalized silica nanoparticles in a Nafion matrix. Both melt-extrusion and solvent casting processes were explored. Ion exchange capacity, conductivity, water uptake and dimensional stability, thermal stability and morphology were characterized. The inclusion of functionalized nanoparticles proved advantageous, mainly due to a physical crosslinking effect and better water retention, with functionalized nanoparticles performing better than the pristine silica particles. For the same filler loading, better nanoparticle dispersion was achieved for solvent-cast membranes, resulting in higher proton conductivity. Filler agglomeration, however,was more severe for solvent-castmembranes at loadings beyond 5wt.%. The composite membranes showed excellent thermal stability, allowing for operation in medium temperature PEM fuel cells. Fuel cell performance of the compositemembranesdecreaseswithdecreasing relativehumidity, but goodperformance values are still obtained at 34% RHand 90 °C,with the best results obtained for solvent castmembranes loaded with 10 wt.% ODF-functionalized silica. Hydrogen crossover of the composite membranes is higher than that forpureNafion membranes,possiblydue toporosityresulting fromsuboptimalparticle- matrixcompatibility. © 2013 Crown Copyright and Elsevier BV. All rights reserved.

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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84901404304&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.01.178

DO - 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2013.01.178

M3 - Article

SN - 0378-7753

VL - 246

SP - 950

EP - 959

JO - Journal of Power Sources

JF - Journal of Power Sources

ER -

Nafion®/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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