Physical and electrochemical investigation of SPEEK/ZrO2 nanocomposite membrane for PEMFC applications

In this study sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) nanocomposite membrane containing 2.5 wt% zirconium oxide was fabricated by solution casting method. The sulfonation degree wasevaluated by H-NMR and titration method. Water uptake, proton conductivity and ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the prepared membrane were determined. Proton conductivity of pristine and nanocomposite membrane is increased with temperature up to 80°C, suggesting protonconductivity is a thermally activated process. All results show addition of hygroscopic zirconia to SPEEK membrane exhibit increased water retention with good proton conductivity at different temperatures. These features make this nanocomposite membrane attractive for fuel cell applications.

Keywords:

Nanocomposite membrane , PEMFC , SPEEK membrane , Zirconia nanoparticles , Proton conductivity