A plasma polymerization process for preparing proton-conducting electrolyte membranes from tetrafluoroethylene and water is presented. They can be deposited on different substrates, e.g., gas diffusion layers or as barrier layers on other polymer electrolyte membranes. An advantage of the plasma-polymerized membranes is their lower methanol permeability due to their highly cross-linked structure. Methanol permeation measurements with methanol solution exhibit methanol permeabilities which are by an order of a magnitude less than for Nafion® 115. The proton conductivity of the plasma-polymerized membranes varies from depending on deposition parameters.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
1.
Scott
, K.
, Taama
, W. M.
, Argyropoulos
, P.
, and Sundmacher
, K.
, 1999, “The Impact of Mass Transport and Methanol Crossover on the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 83
, pp. 204
–216
.2.
Heinzel
, A.
, and Barragán
, V. M.
, 1999, “A Review of the State-of-the-Art of the Methanol Crossover in Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” J. Power Sources
0378-7753, 84
, pp. 70
–74
.3.
Mex
, L.
, and Müller
, J.
, 1999, “Plasma-Polymerized Electrolyte Membrane for Miniaturized Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” Membrane Technol.
, 115
, pp. 5
–9
.4.
Mex
, L.
, Ponath
, N.
, and Müller
, J.
, 2001, “Miniaturized Fuel Cells Based on Microsystem Technologies
,” Fuel Cells Bulletin
, 39
, pp. 9
–12
.5.
Mex
, L.
, Sussiek
, M.
, and Müller
, J.
, 2003, “Plasma Polymerized Electrolyte Membranes and Electrodes for Miniaturized Fuel Cells
,” Chem. Eng. Commun.
0098-6445, 190
, pp. 1085
–1095
.6.
Finsterwalder
, F.
, and Hambitzer
, G.
, 2001, “Proton Conductive Thin Films Prepared by Plasma Polymerization
,” J. Membr. Sci.
0376-7388, 185
, pp. 105
–124
.7.
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
, 2004, “DuPont Nafion® PFSA Membranes
,” Product Information, http://www.dupont.com/fuelcells/pdf/nae101.pdfhttp://www.dupont.com/fuelcells/pdf/nae101.pdf.8.
Allcock
, H. R.
, Hofmann
, M. A.
, Ambler
, C. M.
, Lvov
, S. N.
, Zhou
, X. Y.
, Chalkova
, E.
, and Weston
, J.
, 2002, “Phenyl Phosphonic Acid Functionalized Poly[Aryloxyphosphazenes] as Proton-Conducting Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
,” J. Membr. Sci.
0376-7388, 201
, pp. 47
–54
.9.
Ponath
, N.
, Gruber
, D.
, and Müller
, J.
(unpublished).10.
Tricoli
, V.
, Carretta
, N.
, and Bartolozzi
, M.
, 2000, “A Comparative Investigation of Proton and Methanol Transport in Fluorinated Ionomeric Membranes
,” J. Electrochem. Soc.
0013-4651, 147
(4
), pp. 1286
–1290
.11.
Kim
, J.
, Kim
, B.
, and Jung
, B.
, 2002, “Proton Conductivities and Methanol Permeabilities of Membranes Made From Partially Sulfonated Polystyrene-Block-Poly(Ethylene-Ran-Butylene)-Block-Polystyrene Copolymers
,” J. Membr. Sci.
0376-7388, 207
, pp. 129
–137
.Copyright © 2005
by American Society of Mechanical Engineers
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