In this study, sulfonated zirconia was synthesized and incorporated into Nafion to improve its proton conductivity and water retention. Two types of nanometric superacidic sulonfated zirconia (S-ZrO2) were prepared by Sol Gel techniques. One (SZrO2 110) shows a tetragonal phase, the other (SZrO2 700) presents tetragonal and monoclinic phases. To investigate the effect of the SZrO2, preliminary Fuel Cell tests (Fig.1) were carried out at T = 70°C at different relative humidity (RH) using either Nafion-117 or composite membranes. While both cells exhibit better performances at higher RH, the Nafion/SZrO delivers the highest current values. Remarkably great improvements are observed for the composite when the comparison tests are run at low RH=50% this outlining the beneficial role of the SZrO2 additive. Water mobility and obstruction effects in the membranes were investigated with a combination of NMR variable temperature and pressure relaxation and pulsed field gradient (PFG) diffusion measurements.
D'Epifanio, A., Navarra, M., Licoccia, S., Scrosati, B., Weise, F., Farrington, J., et al. (2008). Sulfated zirconia S-ZrO2 doped Nafion® membranes for fuel cell applications. In ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts. American Chemical Society (ACS).
Sulfated zirconia S-ZrO2 doped Nafion® membranes for fuel cell applications
D'EPIFANIO, ALESSANDRA;LICOCCIA, SILVIA;
2008-01-01
Abstract
In this study, sulfonated zirconia was synthesized and incorporated into Nafion to improve its proton conductivity and water retention. Two types of nanometric superacidic sulonfated zirconia (S-ZrO2) were prepared by Sol Gel techniques. One (SZrO2 110) shows a tetragonal phase, the other (SZrO2 700) presents tetragonal and monoclinic phases. To investigate the effect of the SZrO2, preliminary Fuel Cell tests (Fig.1) were carried out at T = 70°C at different relative humidity (RH) using either Nafion-117 or composite membranes. While both cells exhibit better performances at higher RH, the Nafion/SZrO delivers the highest current values. Remarkably great improvements are observed for the composite when the comparison tests are run at low RH=50% this outlining the beneficial role of the SZrO2 additive. Water mobility and obstruction effects in the membranes were investigated with a combination of NMR variable temperature and pressure relaxation and pulsed field gradient (PFG) diffusion measurements.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
