Issue 10, 2019

Operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells using natural cellulose fiber membranes

Abstract

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs), such as Nafion, are still one of the reasons for the high cost of PEMFCs. Among the alternatives, cellulose, a low cost and biodegradable material, has been considered in the form of its derivatives, such as cellulose acetate, bacterial cellulose or nanocellulose, as the PEM in fuel cells. However, its use involves more chemical synthesis steps. Here, we use low-cost 1.5-micron cellulose filter paper as the scaffold and prepare membranes for PEMFCs by simply impregnating it with a 10% Nafion solution or immersing it in resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP). The prepared membranes are primarily composed of cellulose, with a cellulose to Nafion or RDP ratio of 2 : 1 or 1 : 1. The membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) incorporating the as-prepared membranes exhibit a maximum output power of 23 mW cm−2 at 80 °C for the cellulose/Nafion membrane or 10 mW cm−2 at 60 °C for the cellulose/RDP membrane with only 0.1 mg cm−2 Pt loading on the anode and cathode, when operated in air. The stability results of the membranes after 100 hours of continuous operation indicate a loss of only 10% in power for the cellulose/Nafion membrane and 20% for the cellulose/RDP membrane. It is revealed by FTIR spectroscopy that both the Nafion polymer and RDP were hydrogen bonded to the cellulose fibers, facilitating proton conduction and stabilizing them against further dissolution.

Graphical abstract: Operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells using natural cellulose fiber membranes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 มิ.ย. 2562
Accepted
29 ก.ค. 2562
First published
30 ก.ค. 2562

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2019,3, 2725-2732

Author version available

Operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells using natural cellulose fiber membranes

L. Wang, X. Zuo, A. Raut, R. Isseroff, Y. Xue, Y. Zhou, B. Sandhu, T. Schein, T. Zeliznyak, P. Sharma, S. Sharma, B. S. Hsiao and M. H. Rafailovich, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2019, 3, 2725 DOI: 10.1039/C9SE00381A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements