Fabrication and properties of reinforced membranes based on sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Reinforced membranes are prepared by incorporation of SPAES copolymers into electrospun LCP nonwovens with the aim to improve dimensional stability and tensile properties. Two types of copolymers with different degrees of sulfonation are chosen for fabricating the reinforced membranes. Proton conductivity, dimensional stability, and morphology of the reinforced membranes are studied and compared to those of pristine membranes. The reinforced membranes reduce dimensional change due to water swelling by approximately 45-50% and enhance the tensile strength by about a factor of two. The proton conductivity shows a decline in the reinforced membranes because the LCP nonwovens serve as a barrier for proton transport. The reinforced membranes exhibit an adequate performance for DMFC applications. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.