High-performance and robust high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes with moderate microphase separation by implementation of terphenyl-based polymers

Acid loss and plasticization of phosphoric acid(PA)-doped high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes(HT-PEMs)are critical limitations to their practical application in fuel cells.To overcome these barriers,poly(terphenyl piperidinium)s constructed from the m-and p-isomers of terphenyl were synthesized to regulate the microstructure of the membrane.Highly rigid p-terphenyl units prompt the formation of moderate PA aggregates,where the ion-pair interaction between piperidinium and biphosphate is reinforced,leading to a reduction in the plasticizing effect.As a result,there are trade-offs between the proton conductivity,mechanical strength,and PA retention of the membranes with varied m/p-isomer ratios.The designed PA-doped PTP-20m membrane exhibits superior ionic conductivity,good mechanical strength,and excellent PA retention over a wide range of temperature(80–160°C)as well as satisfactory resistance to harsh accelerated aging tests.As a result,the membrane presents a desirable combination of performance(1.462 W cm^(-2) under the H_(2)/O_(2)condition,which is 1.5 times higher than that of PBI-based membrane)and durability(300 h at 160°C and 0.2 A cm^(-2))in the fuel cell.The results of this study provide new insights that will guide molecular design from the perspective of microstructure to improve the performance and robustness of HT-PEMs.

Multi-objective optimization of the cathode catalyst layer micro-composition of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells using a multi-scale,two-phase fuel cell model and data-driven surrogates

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)are considered a promising alternative to internal combustion engines in the automotive sector.Their commercialization is mainly hindered due to the cost and effectiveness of using platinum(Pt)in them.The cathode catalyst layer(CL)is considered a core component in PEMFCs,and its composition often considerably affects the cell performance(V_(cell))also PEMFC fabrication and production(C_(stack))costs.In this study,a data-driven multi-objective optimization analysis is conducted to effectively evaluate the effects of various cathode CL compositions on Vcelland Cstack.Four essential cathode CL parameters,i.e.,platinum loading(L_(Pt)),weight ratio of ionomer to carbon(wt_(I/C)),weight ratio of Pt to carbon(wt_(Pt/c)),and porosity of cathode CL(ε_(cCL)),are considered as the design variables.The simulation results of a three-dimensional,multi-scale,two-phase comprehensive PEMFC model are used to train and test two famous surrogates:multi-layer perceptron(MLP)and response surface analysis(RSA).Their accuracies are verified using root mean square error and adjusted R^(2).MLP which outperforms RSA in terms of prediction capability is then linked to a multi-objective non-dominated sorting genetic algorithmⅡ.Compared to a typical PEMFC stack,the results of the optimal study show that the single-cell voltage,Vcellis improved by 28 m V for the same stack price and the stack cost evaluated through the U.S department of energy cost model is reduced by$5.86/k W for the same stack performance.

Effects of Freeze/Thaw Cycles and Gas Purging Method on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

At subzero temperature, the startup capability and performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) deteriorates markedly. The object of this work is to study the degradation mechanism of key components of PEMFC-membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and seek feasible measures to avoid degradation. The effect of freeze/thaw cycles on the structure of MEA is investigated based on porosity and SEM measurement. The performance of a single cell was also tested before and after repetitious freeze/thaw cycles. The experimental results indicated that the performance of a PEMFC decreased along with the total operating time as well as the pore size distribution shifting and micro configuration changing. However, when the redundant water had been removed by gas purging, the performance of the PEMFC stack was almost resumed when it experienced again the same subzero temperature test. These results show that it is necessary to remove the water in PEMFCs to maintain stable performance under subzero temperature and gas purging is proved to be the effective operation.

Recent developments in electrocatalysts and future prospects for oxygen reduction reaction in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cells （FCs）. To eliminate the high loading of Pt-based electrocatalysts to minimize the cost, extensive study has been carried out over the previous decades on the non-noble metal catalysts. Development in enhancing the ORR performance of FCs is mainly due to the doped carbon materials, Fe and Co-based electrocatalysts, these materials could be considered as probable substitutes for Pt-based catalysts. But the stability of these non-noble metal electrocatalysts is low and the durability of these metals remains unclear. The three basic reasons of instability are： （i） oxidative occurrence by H2O2, （ii） leakage of the metal site and （iii） protonation by probable anion adsorption of the active site. Whereas leakage of the metal site has been almost solved, more work is required to understand and avoid losses from oxidative attack and protonation. The ORR performance such as stability tests are usually run at low current densities and the lifetime is much shorter than desired need. Therefore, improvement in the ORR activity and stability afe the key issues of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst. Based on the consequences obtained in this area, numerous future research directions are projected and discussed in this paper. Hence, this review is focused on improvement of stability and durability of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst.

PVDF-Based Micro Inorganic Fillers-Containing Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Polymer electrolyte membranes based on poly （vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene） （PVDFHFP） with and without different types of micro inorganic fillers were prepared by phase-inversion process. Morphologies, porosities and electrochemical properties ＇of the as-prepared membranes were investigated by means of scanning electronic microscopy （SEM）, PC （propylene carbonate） uptake and alternating current （AC） impedance technique. Compared with other membranes, the membrane with micro SiO2 filler shows a dense morphology so that its PC uptake is the highest, namely, 339 %. The membrane filled with micro TiO2 exhibits good electrochemical performances： the ion conductivity is as high as 1.1 × 10^-3 S/cm at 18 ℃, which can meet the demand of lithium ion batteries. Moreover, its initial charge-discharge efficiency exceeds 89 %. The composite membranes with micro SiO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 are more suitable for the utilization in lithium ion batteries due to better cycle.ability, whereas the battery assembled with the blank membrane containing no inorganic fillers encounters a short circuit after the 5th cycle.

Partition Equilibrium on the Interface Between a Charged Membrane and a Mixed Electrolyte Aqueous Solution

Ionic partition equilibrium on a charged membrane immersed in a mixed electrolyte solution was systematically investigated and several models were established for the determination of partition coefficients. On the basis of theoretical models, the effects of the concentration ratio λ of the fixed group(charged density) to reference electrolyte, the concentration ratio η between the two electrolytes existing in the solution and the valence of the electrolyte ions on the partition equilibrium in a positively charged membrane were analyzed and simulated within the chosen parameters in detail. The obtainable results can also be applicable to a sytem of mixed electrolytes contacting with a negatively charged membrane. The theoretical calculations were confirmed with the experimental data of model mixed electrolytes, NaCl+HCl and CaCl 2+NaCl partitioned in the system of self made negatively charged membrane sulphonated poly(phenylene oxide)(SPPO) with different charge densities.

A facile path from fast synthesis of Li-argyrodite conductor to dry forming ultrathin electrolyte membrane for high-energy-density allsolid-state lithium batteries

All-solid-state lithium batteries(ASSLBs),utilizing sulfide solid electrolyte,are considered as the promising design on account of their superior safety and high energy density,whereas the time-consuming preparation process of sulfide electrolyte powders and the thickness of electrolyte layer hinder their practical application.Herein,an innovative ultimate-energy mechanical alloying plus rapid thermal processing approach is employed to rapidly synthesize the crystalline Argyrodite-type conductor Li_(5.3)PS_(4.3)ClBr_(0.7)(LPSCIBr)with superior ionic conductivity(11.7 mS cm^(-1)).Furthermore,to realize the higher energy density of the battery,an ultrathin LPSCIBr sulfide electrolyte membrane with superior ionic conductivity of 6.5 mS cm^(-1)is fabricated with the aid of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)binder and the reinforced cellulose mesh.Moreover,a simple solid electrolyte interphase(SEI)is constructed on the surface of lithium metal to enhance anodic stability.Benefiting from the joint efforts of these merits,the modified ASSLBs with a high cell-level energy density of 311 Wh kg^(-1) show an excellent cyclic stability.The assembled all-solid-state Li_(2) S/Li pouch cell can operate even under the severe conditions of bending and cutting,demonstrating the enormous potential of the sulfide electrolyte membrane for ASSLBs application.

Study on durability of Pt supported on graphitized carbon under simulated start-up/shut-down conditions for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The primary issue for the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cell（PEMFC） is the carbon corrosion of support under start-up/shut-down conditions. In this study, we employ the nanostructured graphitized carbon induced by heat-treatment. The degree of graphitization starts to increase between 900 and 1300 ℃ as evidenced by the change of specific surface area, interlayer spacing, and ID/IG value. Pt nanoparticles are deposited on fresh carbon black（Pt/CB） and carbon heat-treated at 1700 ℃（Pt/HCB17） with similar particle size and distribution. Electrochemical characterization demonstrates that the Pt/HCB17 shows higher activity than the Pt/CB due to the inefficient microporous structure of amorphous carbon for the oxygen reduction reaction. An accelerating potential cycle between 1.0 and 1.5 V for the carbon corrosion is applied to examine durability at a single cell under the practical start-up/shutdown conditions. The Pt/HCB17 catalyst shows remarkable durability after 3000 potential cycles. The Pt/HCB17 catalyst exhibits a peak power density gain of 3%, while the Pt/CB catalyst shows 65% loss of the initial peak power density. As well, electrochemical surface area and mass activity of Pt/HCB17 catalyst are even more stable than those of the Pt/CB catalyst. Consequently, the high degree of graphitization is essential for the durability of fuel cells in practical start-up/shut-down conditions due to enhancing the strong interaction of Pt and π-bonds in graphitized carbon.

Partition Equilibrium Between Charged Membrane and Single Electrolyte Aqueous Solution

Ionic partition equilibrium in charged membrane immersed in solution of single electrolyte with monovalence or multi-valence is systematically investigated and several expressions are established for determination of partition coefficients. On this basis, the effects of the ratio of membrane charge density to bulk electrolyte solution concentration, the charge sign and valence of electrolyte ions and the type of membrane on the partition equilibrium were analyzed and simulated within chosen parameters. It is revealed that ion partition is not related solely with the respective concentrations but also definitely with the concentration ratio of fixed group to bulk solution in addition to the charge sign and the valence. For a counterion, the partition coefficient increases with this ratio and the valence; while for a coion, the partition coefficient decreases with this ratio and the valence. The theoretical calculations were compared with the experimental data and a good agreement was observed.

Quasi-solid electrolyte membranes with percolated metal–organic frameworks for practical lithium-metal batteries

High-energy Li-metal batteries (LMBs) suffer from short cycle life and safety issues due to severe parasitic reactions and dendrite growth of Li metal anode (LMA) in liquid electrolytes [1–3].It is generally believed that replacing liquid electrolytes with solidstate electrolytes (SSEs) would be a feasible approach for practical LMBs [4,5]. Conventional SSEs including ceramic and polymer electrolytes have been studied for decades.

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) in Automotive Applications: Environmental Relevance of the Manufacturing Stage

This study presents a state of the art of several studies dealing with the environmental impact assessment of fuel cell (FC) vehicles and the comparison with their conventional fossil-fuelled counterparts, by means of the Life Cycle As-sessment (LCA) methodology. Results declare that, depending on the systems characteristics, there are numerous envi-ronmental advantages, but also some disadvantages can be expected. In addition, the significance of the manufac-turing process of the FC, more specifically the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) type, in terms of environmental impact is presented. Finally, CIEMAT’s role in HYCHAIN European project, consisting of supporting early adopters for hydrogen FCs in the transport sector, is

Effect of Hydrogen Reduction of Silver Ions on the Performance and Structure of New Solid Polymer Electrolyte PEI/Pebax2533/AgBF4 Composite Membranes

In this paper, the effect of hydrogen reduction of silver ions on the performance and structure of new solid polymer electrolyte polyetherimide （PEI）/Pebax2533 （Polynylonl2/tetramethylene oxide block copolymer, PA12-PTMO）/AgBF4 composite membranes is investigated. For PEI/Pebax2533/AgBF4 composite membranesprepared with dillerent AgBF4 concentration, the permeances of propylene and ethylene increase with the increase of AgBF4 concentration due to the carrier-facilitated transport, resulting in a high selectivity. But for propyl- ene/propane mixture, the mixed-gas selectivity is lower than its ideal selectivity. The hydrogen reduction strongly influences the membrane performance, which causes the decrease of propylene permeance and the increase of pro-pane permeance. With the increase of hydrogen reduction time, the membranes show a clearly color change from white to brown, yielding a great selectivity loss. The data of X-ray diffraction and FT-IR prove that silver ions are reduced to Ago after hydrogen reduction, and aggregated on the surface of PEI/Pebax2533/AgBF4 composite mem- branes.

Electrolyte transfer separation of hollow fiber composite nanofiltration membrane

Using Donnan Steric Partitioning Model(DSPM),the data for the rejection of four salts having common co-ion(LiCl, NaCl,KCl,Na2SO4)were obtained and they show the characters of the polyethersulfone(PES)nanofiltration(NF)membrane in terms of three parameters:an effective pore radius(rp),the ratio of effective thickness over porosity(λ/Ak)and an effective charge density(X).Good agreement between experimental data and prediction data using the three parameters mentioned above was obtained.A theoretical model was developed to predict the transport performance of electrolyte through the hollow fiber composite NF membrane.The model prediction is in good agreement with experimental results based on the method by modern numerical solution.

PREPARATION AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANES BASED ON SAN/PVDF-HFP BLENDS

A copolymer of poly（acrylonitrile-co-styrene） （SAN） was synthesized via an emulsion polymerization method. Novel polymer electrolyte membranes cast from the blends of poly（vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene） （PVDF- HFP）, SAN and fumed silica （SIO2） are microporous and can be used in polymer lithium-ion batteries. The membrane shows excellent characteristics such as high ionic conductivity and good mechanical strength when the mass ratio between SAN and PVDF-HFP and SiO2 is 3.5/31.5/5. The ionic conductivity of the membrane soaked in a liquid electrolyte of 1 mol/L LiPF6/EC/DMC/DEC is 4.9 × 10^-3 S cm^-1 at 25℃. The membrane is electrochemical stable up to 5.5 V versus Li^＋/Li in the liquid electrolyte. The influences of SiO2 content on the porosity and mechanical strength of the membranes were studied. Polymer lithium-ion batteries based on the membranes were assembled and their performances were also studied.

Effects of Freeze/Thaw Cycles and Gas Purging Method on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

At subzero temperature, the startup capability and performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell PEMFC deteriorates markedly. The object of this work is to study the degradation mechanism of key compo- nents of PEMFC—membrane-electrode assembly MEA and seek feasible measures to avoid degradation. The ef- fect of freezethaw cycles on the structure of MEA is investigated based on porosity and SEM measurement. The performance of a single cell was also tested before and after repetitious freezethaw cycles. The experimental results indicated that the performance of a PEMFC decreased along with the total operating time as well as the pore size distribution shifting and micro configuration changing. However, when the redundant water had been removed by gas purging, the performance of the PEMFC stack was almost resumed when it experienced again the same subzero temperature test. These results show that it is necessary to remove the water in PEMFCs to maintain stable per- formance under subzero temperature and gas purging is proved to be the effective operation.

Water-induced electrode poisoning and the mitigation strategy for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Engineering failure of membrane electrode assembly caused by increasingly fuel poisoning in the high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells fed with humidified reformate gases is firstly demonstrated herein this work. Based on the results of the in-situ environmental scanning electron microscope, electrochemical analyses, and limiting current method, a water-induced phosphoric acid invasion model is constructed in the porous electrode to elucidate the failure causations of the hindered hydrogen mass transport and the enhanced carbon monoxide poisoning. To optimize the phosphoric acid distribution under the inevitably humidified circumstance, a facile and effective strategy of constructing acid-proofed electrode is proposed and demonstrates outstanding stability with highly humidified reformate gases as anode fuel. This work discusses a potential defect that was rarely studied previously under practical working circumstance for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, providing an alternative opinion of electrode design based on the fundamental aspects towards the engineering problems.

Metal Salt and Non-Electrolyte Separation by Means of Dialysis through the Composite Membranes

To separate salts of metals and non-electrolytes, the approach of dialysis through the composite membranes (CMs) is proposed. CM is a combination of cation and anion exchange areas. In the composite membrane, cations and anions are transferred through the respective exchange areas simultaneously without violation of macroscopic electro-neutrality. This provides a better transfer of salts than conventional ion exchange membranes (IEMs). The dialysis of the ethylene glycol aqueous salt solutions through the CMs was investigated. We have shown that the transport of salts through the composite membranes is more intensive (unlike IEM providing no transfer of salts from weakly mineralized aqueous solutions due to the Donnan exclusion) and the ethylene glycol transfer is not very significant, that is the basis of effective separation. The possibility to use of composite membranes for metal salt and other electrolyte separation is discussed.

Electrodeposition of cobalt in double-membrane three-compartment electrolytic reactor

The process parameters were optimized for the electrodeposition of cobalt from cobalt chloride solution in the membrane electrolytic reactor. Effects of parameters such as catholyte composition, current density and temperature on the current efficiency, specific power consumption and quality of deposition were studied. The catholyte was a mixed solution of cobalt chloride, the initial middle electrolyte consisted of diluted hydrochloric acid, and the anolyte was sulfuric acid. An anion exchange membrane separated the catholyte from the middle electrolyte, and a cation exchange membrane separated the anolyte from the middle electrolyte. The results showed that a maximum current efficiency of 97.5% was attained under the optimum experimental condition of an catholyte composition of 80 g/L Co^2＋, 20 g/L H3BO3, 3 g/L NaF and pH of 4, at a cathode current density of 250 A/m2 and a temperature of 50 ℃ HCl could be produced in the middle compartment electrochemically up to 0.45 mol/L.

Electrodeposition conditions of metallic nickel in electrolytic membrane reactor

The process parameters were optimized for the eleetrodeposition of nickel in an electrolytic membrane reactor. Nickel（Ⅱ） and boric acid concentrations, pH and temperature were varied to evaluate the changes in current efficiency and specific energy consumption of nickel electrodeposition. The catholyte was aqueous nickel（Ⅱ） sulfate and boric acid, and the anolyte was sulfuric acid solution. An anionic membrane separated the anolyte from the catholyte while maintained a conductive path between the two compartments. The results indicated that the cathode current efficiency increased with the increase of nickel concentration, pH and boric acid concentration, and decreased with the increase of current density and stirring rate. A maximum current efficiency of 97.15% was obtained under the optimized conditions of electrolyte composition of 40 g/L Ni and 40 g/L boric acid at temperature of 42 ℃ and pH of 6 with a cathode current density of 300 A/m2.

Crystallization Characteristic of Glass-ceramic Made from Electrolytic Manganese Residue

Electrolytic manganese residue （EMR） is a waste from electrolytic manganese industry that contains high concentration of toxic substances. Since the EMR disposal in landfill sites has a serious environmental impact, new ways of EMR utilization are being sought. Considering the melting of EMR to a glass at high temperature was a relatively less energy-intensive process, EMR was first made into a base glass and then the ground base glass was heat-treated in a certain procedure to make a glass-ceramic and the crystallization process was studied. It was determined by X-ray diffraction （XRD） that the primary crystalline phases of the EMR glass-ceramic were diopside and anorthite, which formed the surface crystallization mechanism with a crystallization activation energy of 429 kJ/mol. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） observation showed that a layer of small spherical particles with an average size of about 0.5 ~tm were covered on the glass matrix surface, and among them there were some big particles. The low melting temperature and crystallization activation energy make it promising to reuse EMR for glass-ceramic production.