Author : Bradley Ladewig
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9783836497947
Total Pages : 144 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (979 download)
Book Synopsis Nafion Nanocomposite Membranes for the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell by : Bradley Ladewig
Download or read book Nafion Nanocomposite Membranes for the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell written by Bradley Ladewig and published by . This book was released on 2008-04-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Direct methanol fuel cells are seen as an attractive potential replacement for lithium ion batteries in small portable electronic devices. Crucial to the operation of direct methanol fuel cells is the proton exchange membrane, which conducts protons from the anode to the cathode, while acting as an insulator to electrons. The proton exchange membrane should also act as a physical barrier to the methanol and water at the anode, and the air or oxygen at the cathode, however the most commonly used proton exchange membrane, Nafion, suffers from significant methanol permeation from the anode to the cathode during operation. This work examined the effect of modifying Nafion membranes through in situ sol gel synthesis of silicon oxide nanoparticles with varying surface chemistry and microstructure. Detailed structural characterisation of the composite structure was undertaken using a wide variety of techniques including small angle X-ray and neutron scattering, wide-angle X-ray scattering, thermal analysis techniques and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Transport properties of the composite membranes were evaluated by impedance spectroscopy and pervaporation techniques.