Study of poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan polymer membranes and their application on alkaline direct methanol fuel cells

• Main Authors: Hsien Chih Chiu, 邱顯志
• Other Authors: J. M. Yang
• Format: Others
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/46795167675597151400

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 化工與材料工程研究所 === 97 === The purpose of this study was to develop cation polymer electrolyte membranes, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and chitosan (CS) which were prepared by the blend process and solution casting method. Glutaraldehyde (GA) was used as a crosslinker for the polymer electrolyte membrane in order to enhance the chemical, thermal and mechanical stabilities. Finally the polymer electrolyte membranes were examined in terms of the composition structure, thermal properties, mechanical strength, analysis of electrical properties, methanol permeability, and single cell text of the polymer electrolyte membranes. The results of FTIR show that the PVA and CS did react with Glutaraldehyde. According to the XRD shows that the degree of the crystallinity of PVA/CS blended membrane became declined with adding CS. The thermal degradation temperature of the electrolyte membrane was enhanced by a modified of cross-linked process which improves the thermal stability of materials. Due to the cross-linked process, structure of the electrolyte membrane become more compact and the mechanical strength is consequently enhanced. It was found that the ionic conductivity value of PVA/CS polymer membrane reaches about 10-3~10-2 Scm-1 at 30℃. The methanol permeability of the PCS-GA240 polymer electrolyte membrane was about 6.158×10-7 cm2s-1. The maximum peak power density of the ADMFC in a 2M KOH + 2M CH3OH solution was 29.2 mW cm−2 at 50℃.