According to Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC), Iranian researchers from Amirkabir University of Technology produced nanocomposite membranes that are able to improve performance of fuel cells at high temperature.
The nanomembranes have very good mechanical and thermal properties and they increase the efficiency of fuel cells in the production of electrical energy. The research has been carried out at laboratorial scale.
Polymer membrane fuel cells are among the most important commercial types of fuel cells. Various commercial membranes, including Nafion are used as proton exchanging membranes in these types of fuel cells. However, commercial Nafion has some limitations such as very expensive cost and low performance at high temperature; therefore, the aim of this research was to produce a nanocomposite membrane with high thermal stability, appropriate mechanical properties and desirable performance as well as having reasonable price.
Test results showed that the synthesized nanocomposite membranes have very good performance in various temperatures and humidity, to the extent that they can take the place of many existing commercial membranes.
According to the researchers, the performance of proton exchanging membranes directly affects the efficiency of fuel cells; therefore, high proton exchanging properties, appropriate physical and thermal properties and desirable performance at high temperature were among the objectives of this research. Functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets were used in the synthesis of the membranes.
Results of the research have been published in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 40, issue 40, 2015, pp. 13964-13978.
MS/PR
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