Fundamental characteristics study of anion-exchange PVDF-SiO(2) membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Xingtao; Shi, Wenxin; Yu, Shuili; He, Jiajie

2012-01-01

A new type of poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)-SiO(2) hybrid anion-exchange membrane was prepared by blending method. The anion-exchange groups were introduced by the reaction of epoxy groups with trimethylamine (TMA). Contact angle between water and the membrane surface was measured to characterize the hydrophilicity change of the membrane surface. The effects of nano-sized SiO(2) particles in the membrane-forming materials on the membrane mechanical properties and conductivity were also investigated. The experimental results indicated that PVDF-SiO(2) anion-exchange membranes exhibited better water content, ion-exchange capacity, conductivity and mechanic properties, and so may find potential applications in alkaline membrane fuel cells and water treatment processes.

Proton exchange membranes prepared by grafting of styrene/divinylbenzene into crosslinked PTFE membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jingye; Ichizuri, Shogo; Asano, Saneto; Mutou, Fumihiro; Ikeda, Shigetoshi; Iida, Minoru; Miura, Takaharu; Oshima, Akihiro; Tabata, Yoneho; Washio, Masakazu

2005-01-01

Thin PTFE membranes were prepared by coating the PTFE dispersion onto the aluminum films. Thus the thin crosslinked PTFE (RX-PTFE) membranes were obtained by means of electron beam irradiation above the melting temperature of PTFE under oxygen-free atmosphere. The RX-PTFE membranes were pre-irradiated and grafted by styrene with or without divinylbenzene (DVB) in liquid phase. The existence of DVB accelerated the initial grafting rate. The styrene grafted RX-PTFE membranes are white colored, on the other hand, the styrene/DVB grafted RX-PTFE membranes are colorless. The proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were obtained by sulfonating the grafted membranes using chlorosulfonic acid. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) values of the PEMs ranging from 1.5 to 2.8 meq/g were obtained. The PEMs made from the styrene/DVB grafted membranes showed higher chemical stability than those of the styrene grafted membranes under oxidative circumstance

Modeling Of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mads Pagh

The objective of this doctoral thesis was to develop reliable steady-state and transient component models suitable to asses-, develop- and optimize proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems. Several components in PEM fuel cell systems were characterized and modeled. The developed component...... cell systems. Consequences of indirectly fueling PEM stacks with hydrocarbons using reforming technology were investigated using a PEM stack model including CO poisoning kinetics and a transient Simulink steam reforming system model. Aspects regarding the optimization of PEM fuel cell systems...

Epoxy-crosslinked sulfonated poly (phenylene) copolymer proton exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Hibbs, Michael; Fujimoto, Cy H.; Norman, Kirsten; Hickner, Michael A.

2010-10-19

An epoxy-crosslinked sulfonated poly(phenylene) copolymer composition used as proton exchange membranes, methods of making the same, and their use as proton exchange membranes (PEM) in hydrogen fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cell, in electrode casting solutions and electrodes, and in sulfur dioxide electrolyzers. These improved membranes are tougher, have higher temperature capability, and lower SO.sub.2 crossover rates.

Na+/H+ Exchange Activity in the Plasma Membrane of Arabidopsis1

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Quan-Sheng; Barkla, Bronwyn J.; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Zhu, Jian-Kang; Schumaker, Karen S.

2003-01-01

In plants, Na+/H+ exchangers in the plasma membrane are critical for growth in high levels of salt, removing toxic Na+ from the cytoplasm by transport out of the cell. The molecular identity of a plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger in Arabidopsis (SOS1) has recently been determined. In this study, immunological analysis provided evidence that SOS1 localizes to the plasma membrane of leaves and roots. To characterize the transport activity of this protein, purified plasma membrane vesicles were isolated from leaves of Arabidopsis. Na+/H+ exchange activity, monitored as the ability of Na to dissipate an established pH gradient, was absent in plants grown without salt. However, exchange activity was induced when plants were grown in 250 mm NaCl and increased with prolonged salt exposure up to 8 d. H+-coupled exchange was specific for Na, because chloride salts of other monovalent cations did not dissipate the pH gradient. Na+/H+ exchange activity was dependent on Na (substrate) concentration, and kinetic analysis indicated that the affinity (apparent Km) of the transporter for Na+ is 22.8 mm. Data from two experimental approaches supports electroneutral exchange (one Na+ exchanged for one proton): (a) no change in membrane potential was measured during the exchange reaction, and (b) Na+/H+ exchange was unaffected by the presence or absence of a membrane potential. Results from this research provide a framework for future studies into the regulation of the plant plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchanger and its relative contribution to the maintenance of cellular Na+ homeostasis during plant growth in salt. PMID:12805632

Importance of balancing membrane and electrode water in anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Omasta, T. J.; Wang, L.; Peng, X.; Lewis, C. A.; Varcoe, J. R.; Mustain, W. E.

2018-01-01

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) offer several potential advantages over proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), most notably to overcome the cost barrier that has slowed the growth and large scale implementation of fuel cells for transportation. However, limitations in performance have held back AEMFCs, specifically in the areas of stability, carbonation, and maximum achievable current and power densities. In order for AEMFCs to contend with PEMFCs for market viability, it is necessary to realize a competitive cell performance. This work demonstrates a new benchmark for a H2/O2 AEMFC with a peak power density of 1.4 W cm-2 at 60 °C. This was accomplished by taking a more precise look at balancing necessary membrane hydration while preventing electrode flooding, which somewhat surprisingly can occur both at the anode and the cathode. Specifically, radiation-grafted ETFE-based anion exchange membranes and anion exchange ionomer powder, functionalized with benchmark benzyltrimethylammonium groups, were utilized to examine the effects of the following parameters on AEMFC performance: feed gas flow rate, the use of hydrophobic vs. hydrophilic gas diffusion layers, and gas feed dew points.

RADIATION STABILITY OF NAFION MEMBRANES USED FOR ISOTOPE SEPARATION BY PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE ELECTROLYSIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fox, E.

2009-01-01

Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers have potential interest for use for hydrogen isotope separation from water. In order for PEME to be fully utilized, more information is needed on the stability of Nafion when exposed to radiation. This work examines Nafion 117 under varying exposure conditions, including dose rate, total dosage and atmospheric condition. Analytical tools, such as FT-IR, ion exchange capacity, DMA and TIC-TOC were used to characterize the exposed membranes. Analysis of the water from saturated membranes can provide important data on the stability of the membranes during radiation exposure. It was found that the dose rate of exposure plays an important role in membrane degradation. Potential mechanisms for membrane degradation include peroxide formation by free radicals

RADIATION STABILITY OF NAFION MEMBRANES USED FOR ISOTOPE SEPARATION BY PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE ELECTROLYSIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, E

2009-05-15

Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers have potential interest for use for hydrogen isotope separation from water. In order for PEME to be fully utilized, more information is needed on the stability of Nafion when exposed to radiation. This work examines Nafion 117 under varying exposure conditions, including dose rate, total dosage and atmospheric condition. Analytical tools, such as FT-IR, ion exchange capacity, DMA and TIC-TOC were used to characterize the exposed membranes. Analysis of the water from saturated membranes can provide important data on the stability of the membranes during radiation exposure. It was found that the dose rate of exposure plays an important role in membrane degradation. Potential mechanisms for membrane degradation include peroxide formation by free radicals.

Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling and the Effect of Ion Exchange Resins

KAUST Repository

Jamaly, Sanaa

2011-12-01

Membrane fouling is a challenging process for the ultrafiltration membrane during wastewater treatment. This research paper determines the organic character of foulants of different kinds of wastewater before and after adding some ion exchange resins. Two advanced organic characterization methods are compared in terms of concentration of dissolved organic carbons: The liquid chromatography with organic carbon (LC-OCD) and Shimadzu total organic carbon (TOC). In this study, two secondary wastewater effluents were treated using ultrafiltration membrane. To reduce fouling, pretreatment using some adsorbents were used in the study. Six ion exchange resins out of twenty were chosen to compare the effect of adsorbents on fouling membrane. Based on the percent of dissolved organic carbon’s removal, three adsorbents were determined to be the most efficient (DOWEX Marathon 11 anion exchange resin, DOWEX Optipore SD2 polymeric adsorbent, and DOWEX PSR2 anion exchange), and three other ones were determined to the least efficient (DOWEX Marathon A2 anion exchange resin, DOWEX SAR anion exchange resin, and DOWEX Optipore L493 polymeric adsorbent). Organic characterization for feed, permeate, and backwash samples were tested using LC-OCD and TOC to better understand the characteristics of foulants to prevent ultrafiltration membrane fouling. The results suggested that the polymeric ion exchange resin, DOWEX SD2, reduced fouling potential for both treated wastewaters. All the six ion exchange resins removed more humic fraction than other organic fractions in different percent, so this fraction is not the main for cause for UF membrane fouling. The fouling of colloids was tested before and after adding calcium. There is a severe fouling after adding Ca2+ to effluent colloids.

Triple-membrane reduces need for ion exchange regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valcour, H.

1989-01-01

Triple-membrane water treatment systems are comprised of ultrafiltration units for pretreatment, electrodialysis reversal primary demineralizers, reverse osmosis secondary demineralizers, portable ion exchange unit polishing demineralizers, and ultraviolet sterilizers. The triple-membrane process is designed to provide an unprecedented degree of pretreatment to maximize efficiency, durability and reliability of the reverse osmosis, whilst reducing the required regeneration frequency of the ion exchange demineralizer by one to two orders of magnitude. (author)

Membrane heat exchanger in HVAC energy recovery systems, systems energy analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasif, M. [School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Opus International Consultants (New Zealand); AL-Waked, R. [Mechanical Engineering Department, Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU), P.O. Box 1614, AlKhobar 31952 (Saudi Arabia); Morrison, G. [School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Behnia, M. [School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

2010-10-15

The thermal performance of an enthalpy/membrane heat exchanger is experimentally investigated. The heat exchanger utilizes a 60gsm Kraft paper as the heat and moisture transfer surface for HVAC energy recovery. The heat exchanger sensible, latent and total effectiveness have been determined through temperature and moisture content measurements. The annual energy consumption of an air conditioner coupled with an enthalpy/membrane heat exchanger is also studied and compared with a conventional air conditioning cycle using in-house modified HPRate software. The heat exchanger effectiveness are used as thermal performance indicators and incorporated in the modified software. Energy analysis showed that an air conditioning system coupled with a membrane heat exchanger consumes less energy than a conventional air conditioning system in hot and humid climates where the latent load is high. It has been shown that in humid climate a saving of up to 8% in annual energy consumption can be achieved when membrane heat exchanger is used instead of a conventional HVAC system. (author)

Membrane resistance : The effect of salinity gradients over a cation exchange membrane

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galama, A. H.; Vermaas, D. A.; Veerman, J.; Saakes, M.; Rijnaarts, H. H. M.; Post, J. W.; Nijmeijer, K.

2014-01-01

Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are used for selective transport of ions between two solutions. These solutions are often different in concentration or composition. The membrane resistance (R-M) is an important parameter affecting power consumption or power production in electrodialytic processes. In

Membrane resistance: The effect of salinity gradients over a cation exchange membrane

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galama, A.H.; Vermaas, D.A.; Veerman, J.; Saakes, M.; Rijnaarts, H.; Post, J.W.; Nijmeijer, K.

2014-01-01

Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are used for selective transport of ions between two solutions. These solutions are often different in concentration or composition. The membrane resistance (R-M) is an important parameter affecting power consumption or power production in electrodialytic processes. In

Hybrid capacitive deionization with anion-exchange membranes for lithium extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siekierka Anna

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Lithium is considered to be a critical material for various industrial fields. We present our studies on extraction lithium from diluted aqueous solution by novel hybrid system based on a membrane capacitive deionization and batteries desalination. Hybrid CDI is comprised by a lithium selective adsorbent, activated carbon electrode and anion-exchange membranes. Here, we demonstrated implication of various type of anion-exchange membranes and influence their properties on effective capacity and energy requirements in charge/discharge steps. We described a configuration with anion-exchange membrane characterized by adsorption capacity of 35 mg/g of Li+ with 0.08Wh/g and removal efficiency of 60 % of lithium ions, using novel selective desalination technique.

Hybrid capacitive deionization with anion-exchange membranes for lithium extraction

Science.gov (United States)

Siekierka, Anna; Bryjak, Marek

2017-11-01

Lithium is considered to be a critical material for various industrial fields. We present our studies on extraction lithium from diluted aqueous solution by novel hybrid system based on a membrane capacitive deionization and batteries desalination. Hybrid CDI is comprised by a lithium selective adsorbent, activated carbon electrode and anion-exchange membranes. Here, we demonstrated implication of various type of anion-exchange membranes and influence their properties on effective capacity and energy requirements in charge/discharge steps. We described a configuration with anion-exchange membrane characterized by adsorption capacity of 35 mg/g of Li+ with 0.08Wh/g and removal efficiency of 60 % of lithium ions, using novel selective desalination technique.

Proton exchange membranes based on PVDF/SEBS blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mokrini, A.; Huneault, M.A. [Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council of Canada, 75 de Mortagne Blvd., Boucherville, Que. (Canada J4B 6Y4)

2006-03-09

Proton-conductive polymer membranes are used as an electrolyte in the so-called proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Current commercially available membranes are perfluorosulfonic acid polymers, a class of high-cost ionomers. This paper examines the potential of polymer blends, namely those of styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene block copolymer (SEBS) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), in the proton exchange membrane application. SEBS/PVDF blends were prepared by twin-screw extrusion and the membranes were formed by calendering. SEBS is a phase-segregated material where the polystyrene blocks can be selectively functionalized offering high ionic conductivity, while PVDF insures good dimensional stability and chemical resistance to the films. Proton conductivity of the films was obtained by solid-state grafting of sulfonic acid moieties. The obtained membranes were characterized in terms of conductivity, ionic exchange capacity and water uptake. In addition, the membranes were characterized in terms of morphology, microstructure and thermo-mechanical properties to establish the blends morphology-property relationships. Modification of interfacial properties between SEBS and PVDF was found to be a key to optimize the blends performance. Addition of a methyl methacrylate-butyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate block copolymer (MMA-BA-MMA) was found to compatibilize the blend by reducing the segregation scale and improving the blend homogeneity. Mechanical resistance of the membranes was also improved through the addition of this compatibilizer. As little as 2wt.% compatibilizer was sufficient for complete interfacial coverage and lead to improved mechanical properties. Compatibilized blend membranes also showed higher conductivities, 1.9x10{sup -2} to 5.5x10{sup -3}Scm{sup -1}, and improved water management. (author)

Purification of crude biodiesel using dry washing and membrane technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.M. Atadashi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Purification of crude biodiesel is mandatory for the fuel to meet the strict international standard specifications for biodiesel. Therefore, this paper carefully analyzed recently published literatures which deal with the purification of biodiesel. As such, dry washing technologies and the most recent membrane biodiesel purification process have been thoroughly examined. Although purification of biodiesel using dry washing process involving magnesol and ion exchange resins provides high-quality biodiesel fuel, considerable amount of spent absorbents is recorded, besides the skeletal knowledge on its operating process. Further, recent findings have shown that biodiesel purification using membrane technique could offer high-quality biodiesel fuel with less wastewater discharges. Thus, both researchers and industries are expected to benefit from the development of membrane technique in purifying crude biodiesel. As well biodiesel purification via membranes has been shown to be environmentally friendly. For these reasons, it is important to explore and exploit membrane technology to purify crude biodiesel.

Design of Anion Exchange Membranes and Electrodialysis Studies for Water Desalination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Imran Khan

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Anion exchange membranes are highly versatile and nowadays have many applications, ranging from water treatment to sensing materials. The preparation of anion exchange membranes (AEMs from brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,6-phenylene oxide (BPPO and methyl(diphenylphosphine (MDPP for electrodialysis was performed. The physiochemical properties and electrochemical performance of fabricated membranes can be measured by changing MDPP contents in the membrane matrix. The influence of a quaternary phosphonium group associated with the removal of NaCl from water is discussed. The prepared membranes have ion exchange capacities (IEC 1.09–1.52 mmol/g, water uptake (WR 17.14%–21.77%, linear expansion ratio (LER 7.96%–11.86%, tensile strength (TS 16.66–23.97 MPa and elongation at break (Eb 485.57%–647.98%. The prepared anion exchange membranes were employed for the electrodialytic removal of 0.1 M NaCl aqueous solution at a constant applied voltage. It is found that the reported membranes could be the promising candidate for NaCl removal via electrodialysis.

Preparation of anion exchange membrane using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for alkaline water electrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Gab-Jin; Bong, Soo-Yeon; Ryu, Cheol-Hwi [Hoseo University, Asan (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Soo-Gon [Energy and Machinery Korea Co., Ltd., Changwon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Ho-Sang [Kyungil University, Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

An anion exchange membrane was prepared by the chloromethylation and the amination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as the base polymer. The membrane properties of the prepared anion exchange membrane, including ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity, and water content were measured. The ionic conductivity of the prepared anion exchange membrane was in the range of 0.098x10{sup -2} -7.0x10{sup -2}S cm{sup -1}. The ranges of ion exchange capacity and water content were 1.9-3.7meq./g-dry-membrane and 35.1-63.1%, respectively. The chemical stability of the prepared anion exchange membrane was tested by soaking in 30 wt% KOH solution to determine its availability as a separator in the alkaline water electrolysis. The ionic conductivity during the chemical stability test largely did not change.

Ammonium Bicarbonate Transport in Anion Exchange Membranes for Salinity Gradient Energy

KAUST Repository

Geise, Geoffrey M.

2013-09-17

Many salinity gradient energy technologies such as reverse electrodialysis (RED) rely on highly selective anion transport through polymeric anion exchange membranes. While there is considerable interest in using thermolytic solutions such as ammonium bicarbonate (AmB) in RED processes for closed-loop conversion of heat energy to electricity, little is known about membrane performance in this electrolyte. The resistances of two commercially available cation exchange membranes in AmB were lower than their resistances in NaCl. However, the resistances of commercially available anion exchange membranes (AEMs) were much larger in AmB than in NaCl, which would adversely affect energy recovery. The properties of a series of quaternary ammonium-functionalized poly(phenylene oxide) and Radel-based AEMs were therefore examined to understand the reasons for increased resistance in AmB to overcome this performance penalty due to the lower mobility of bicarbonate, 4.59 × 10-4 cm2/(V s), compared to chloride, 7.90 × 10-4 cm2/(V s) (the dilute aqueous solution mobility ratio of HCO3 - to Cl- is 0.58). Most membrane resistances were generally consistent with the dilute solution mobilities of the anions. For a few key samples, however, increased water uptake in AmB solution reduced the ionic resistance of the polymer compared to its resistance in NaCl solution. This increased water uptake was attributed to the greater hydration of the bicarbonate ion compared to the chloride ion. The increased resistance due to the use of bicarbonate as opposed to chloride ions in AEMs can therefore be mitigated by designing polymers that swell more in AmB compared to NaCl solutions, enabling more efficient energy recovery using AmB thermolytic solutions in RED. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Ammonium Bicarbonate Transport in Anion Exchange Membranes for Salinity Gradient Energy

KAUST Repository

Geise, Geoffrey M.; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

Many salinity gradient energy technologies such as reverse electrodialysis (RED) rely on highly selective anion transport through polymeric anion exchange membranes. While there is considerable interest in using thermolytic solutions such as ammonium bicarbonate (AmB) in RED processes for closed-loop conversion of heat energy to electricity, little is known about membrane performance in this electrolyte. The resistances of two commercially available cation exchange membranes in AmB were lower than their resistances in NaCl. However, the resistances of commercially available anion exchange membranes (AEMs) were much larger in AmB than in NaCl, which would adversely affect energy recovery. The properties of a series of quaternary ammonium-functionalized poly(phenylene oxide) and Radel-based AEMs were therefore examined to understand the reasons for increased resistance in AmB to overcome this performance penalty due to the lower mobility of bicarbonate, 4.59 × 10-4 cm2/(V s), compared to chloride, 7.90 × 10-4 cm2/(V s) (the dilute aqueous solution mobility ratio of HCO3 - to Cl- is 0.58). Most membrane resistances were generally consistent with the dilute solution mobilities of the anions. For a few key samples, however, increased water uptake in AmB solution reduced the ionic resistance of the polymer compared to its resistance in NaCl solution. This increased water uptake was attributed to the greater hydration of the bicarbonate ion compared to the chloride ion. The increased resistance due to the use of bicarbonate as opposed to chloride ions in AEMs can therefore be mitigated by designing polymers that swell more in AmB compared to NaCl solutions, enabling more efficient energy recovery using AmB thermolytic solutions in RED. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Hybrid capacitive deionization with anion-exchange membranes for lithium extraction

OpenAIRE

Siekierka Anna; Bryjak Marek

2017-01-01

Lithium is considered to be a critical material for various industrial fields. We present our studies on extraction lithium from diluted aqueous solution by novel hybrid system based on a membrane capacitive deionization and batteries desalination. Hybrid CDI is comprised by a lithium selective adsorbent, activated carbon electrode and anion-exchange membranes. Here, we demonstrated implication of various type of anion-exchange membranes and influence their properties on effective capacity an...

Membrane Contact Sites: Complex Zones for Membrane Association and Lipid Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Quon, Evan; Beh, Christopher T.

2015-01-01

Lipid transport between membranes within cells involves vesicle and protein carriers, but as agents of nonvesicular lipid transfer, the role of membrane contact sites has received increasing attention. As zones for lipid metabolism and exchange, various membrane contact sites mediate direct associations between different organelles. In particular, membrane contact sites linking the plasma membrane (PM) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) represent important regulators of lipid and ion transfer. In yeast, cortical ER is stapled to the PM through membrane-tethering proteins, which establish a direct connection between the membranes. In this review, we consider passive and facilitated models for lipid transfer at PM–ER contact sites. Besides the tethering proteins, we examine the roles of an additional repertoire of lipid and protein regulators that prime and propagate PM–ER membrane association. We conclude that instead of being simple mediators of membrane association, regulatory components of membrane contact sites have complex and multilayered functions. PMID:26949334

Development of ion exchanging membranes synthesized by means of radiation grafting coplolymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Jie; Xu Yunshu; Huang Wei

2006-01-01

Separation material is an important type of functional materials. In this paper, the development of cation- exchange membranes was reviewed, the synthesis of fluoropolymer based sulfonic acid type membranes and other polymers based cation-exchange membranes were selectively introduced. (authors)

Ion-Exchanged SAPO-34 Membranes for Krypton-Xenon Separation: Control of Permeation Properties and Fabrication of Hollow Fiber Membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yeon Hye; Min, Byunghyun; Yang, Shaowei; Koh, Dong-Yeun; Bhave, Ramesh R; Nair, Sankar

2018-02-21

Separation of radioisotope 85 Kr from 136 Xe is of importance in used nuclear fuel reprocessing. Membrane separation based on zeolite molecular sieves such as chabazite SAPO-34 is an attractive alternative to energy-intensive cryogenic distillation. We report the synthesis of SAPO-34 membranes with considerably enhanced performance via thickness reduction based upon control of a steam-assisted vapor-solid conversion technique followed by ion exchange with alkali metal cations. The reduction of membrane thickness leads to a large increase in Kr permeance from 7.5 to 26.3 gas permeation units (GPU) with ideal Kr/Xe selectivities >20 at 298 K. Cation-exchanged membranes show large (>50%) increases in selectivity at ambient or slight subambient conditions. The adsorption, diffusion, and permeation characteristics of ion-exchanged SAPO-34 materials and membranes are investigated in detail, with potassium-exchanged SAPO-34 membranes showing particularly attractive performance. We then demonstrate the fabrication of selective SAPO-34 membranes on α-alumina hollow fibers.

Survey of technological trends in functional membrane materials; Kinosei makuzai ni kansuru gijutsu doko chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1979-03-01

Materials for membranes with novel functions are surveyed. The survey is focused on 10 subjects, which are high-performance RO (reverse osmosis)/UF (ultrafiltration) membranes; development of an energy-efficient secondary treatment system for urban wastewater using pollution-free membranes; high-performance ion exchange membranes; artificial lung membranes; hydrogen separation membranes (hydrogen as energy); development of an energy-efficient combustion system using gas separation membranes (oxygen-enriched membranes); organic matter separation membranes; enzyme-aided chemical reaction membranes and their application; development of a distilling ship; and functional membranes making use of photosynthesis. Discussed in this connection are the outlines of the technologies, the need of their development, methods and contents of the development efforts, and the effects and impacts of their development. The survey further concerns the particulars of the trends in novel technologies about functional membrane materials development, covering gas separation and liquid separation technologies; chemical reaction membranes; and enzyme-aided chemical reaction membranes and their application systems. As for their application, the survey covers the field of application of desalinated or ultrapure water; field of application of food fermentation technologies; industrial wastewater, valuable materials recovery, and urban wastewater treatment; and application to medical systems. (NEDO)

Imade-imide cross-linked PEEK proton exchange membrane.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The proton exchange membrane is a key component of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). It plays an important role, conducts protons and separates the fuel from oxidant in PEMFC. DuPont’s Nafion is a perfluorinated sulfonic acid polymer...

Technological aspects in synthesis and characterization of proton conducting polyetheretherketone (PEEK) membranes for fuel cell applications.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Vaivars, G

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The research on ion-exchange membranes has grown considerably in recent years with the growing interest in fuel cell technology for the automotive and portable applications. The requirements for a fuel cell membrane are the following: high chemical...

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Applied for Transport Sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hosseinzadeh, Elham; Rokni, Masoud

2010-01-01

A thermodynamic analysis of a PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) is investigated. PEMFC may be the most promising technology for fuel cell automotive systems, which is operating at quite low temperatures, (between 60 to 80℃). In this study the fuel cell motive power part of a lift truck has...... been investigated. The fuel cell stack used in this model is developed using a Ballard PEMFC [1], so that the equations used in the stack modeling are derived from the experimental data. The stack can produce 3 to 15 kilowatt electricity depending on the number of cells used in the stack. Some...

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOTYPE TITANATE ION EXCHANGE LOADED MEMBRANES FOR STRONTIUM, CESIUM AND ACTINIDE DECONTAMINATION FROM AQUEOUS MEDIA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oji, L; Keisha Martin, K; David Hobbs, D

2008-05-30

We have successfully incorporated high surface area particles of titanate ion exchange materials (monosodium titanate and crystalline silicotitanate) with acceptable particle size distribution into porous and inert support membrane fibrils consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon{reg_sign}), polyethylene and cellulose materials. The resulting membrane sheets, under laboratory conditions, were used to evaluate the removal of surrogate radioactive materials for cesium-137 and strontium-90 from high caustic nuclear waste simulants. These membrane supports met the nominal requirement for nonchemical interaction with the embedded ion exchange materials and were porous enough to allow sufficient liquid flow. Some of this 47-mm size stamped out prototype titanium impregnated ion exchange membrane discs was found to remove more than 96% of dissolved cesium-133 and strontium-88 from a caustic nuclear waste salt simulants. Since in traditional ion exchange based column technology monosodium titanate (MST) is known to have great affinity for the sorbing of other actinides like plutonium, neptunium and even uranium, we expect that the MST-based membranes developed here, although not directly evaluated for uptake of these three actinides because of costs associated with working with actinides which do not have 'true' experimental surrogates, would also show significant affinity for these actinides in aqueous media. It was also observed that crystalline silicotitanate impregnated polytetrafluoroethylene or polyethylene membranes became less selective and sorbed both cesium and strontium from the caustic aqueous salt simulants.

Radiation deterioration of ion-exchange Nafion N117CS membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwai, Yasunori; Hiroki, Akihiro; Tamada, Masao; Isobe, Kanetsugu; Yamanishi, Toshihiko

2010-01-01

The cation-exchange Nafion N117 membranes swelling in electrolyte solution were irradiated with γ-rays or electron beams at various doses up to 1500 kGy in the temperature range from room temperature to 343 K to obtain detailed information on the effect of ion-exchange on the radiation deterioration in mechanical properties and ion-exchange capacity. Considerable deterioration in mechanical properties was observed when the Nafion membranes swelling in electrolyte solution were irradiated. A reason is the promotion of degradation with oxygen molecules produced by the irradiation of electrolyte solution. The concentration of electrolyte solution influenced strongly the radiation deterioration in mechanical properties. Keeping the concentration of metal ions to be negligible is important when electrolyzed highly radioactive solution in the light of the durability of polyperfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane. A sort of cation in electrolyte solution negligibly influenced radiation deterioration in mechanical properties. A sort of anion in electrolyte solution had negligible effect on radiation deterioration in mechanical properties and ion-exchange capacity. The discrepancy in the radiation deterioration in mechanical properties of Nafion membranes swelling in NaCl solution was observed between the specimens irradiated with γ-rays and electron beams. This discrepancy can be explained from the low diffusivity of oxygen from bulk into the membrane.

Multi-layer membrane model for mass transport in a direct ethanol fuel cell using an alkaline anion exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrami, Hafez; Faghri, Amir

2012-11-01

A one-dimensional, isothermal, single-phase model is presented to investigate the mass transport in a direct ethanol fuel cell incorporating an alkaline anion exchange membrane. The electrochemistry is analytically solved and the closed-form solution is provided for two limiting cases assuming Tafel expressions for both oxygen reduction and ethanol oxidation. A multi-layer membrane model is proposed to properly account for the diffusive and electroosmotic transport of ethanol through the membrane. The fundamental differences in fuel crossover for positive and negative electroosmotic drag coefficients are discussed. It is found that ethanol crossover is significantly reduced upon using an alkaline anion exchange membrane instead of a proton exchange membrane, especially at current densities higher than 500 A m

Epoxides cross-linked hexafluoropropylidene polybenzimidazole membranes for application as high temperature proton exchange membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jingshuai; Xu, Yixin; Liu, Peipei; Gao, Liping; Che, Quantong; He, Ronghuan

2015-01-01

Covalently cross-linked hexafluoropropylidene polybenzimidazole (F 6 PBI) was prepared and used to fabricate high temperature proton exchange membranes with enhanced mechanical strength against thermoplastic distortion. Three different epoxides, i.e. bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (R 1 ), bisphenol A propoxylate diglycidyl ether (R 2 ) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (R 3 ), were chosen as the cross-linkers to investigate the influence of their structures on the properties of the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes. All the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes displayed excellent stability towards the radical oxidation. Comparing with the pure F 6 PBI membrane, the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes showed high acid doping level but less swelling after doping phosphoric acid at elevated temperatures. The mechanical strength at 130 °C was improved from 0.4 MPa for F 6 PBI membrane to a range of 0.8–2.0 MPa for the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes with an acid doping level as high as around 14, especially for that crosslinking with the epoxide (R 3 ), which has a long linear structure of alkyl ether. The proton conductivity of the cross-linked membranes was increased accordingly due to the high acid doping levels. Fuel cell tests demonstrated the technical feasibility of the acid doped cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Exploring Alkaline Stable Organic Cations for Polymer Hydroxide Exchange Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-29

1   1.1.2   Proton exchange membrane fuel cells ( PEMFCs ) ......................... 3   1.1.3   Alkaline fuel cells (AFCs...160   xi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1:   Schematic diagram of a PEMFC ...according to the type of electrolyte they use. Nowadays, there are six major types of fuel cells: proton-exchange membrane fuel cells ( PEMFCs ), hydroxide

Increasing selectivity of a heterogeneous ion-exchange membrane

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křivčík, J.; Neděla, D.; Hadrava, J.; Brožová, Libuše

2015-01-01

Roč. 56, č. 12 (2015), s. 3160-3166 ISSN 1944-3994. [International Conference on Membrane and Electromembrane Processes - MELPRO 2014. Prague, 18.05.2014-21.05.2014] Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : ion-exchange membrane * selectivity * permselectivity Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing Impact factor: 1.272, year: 2015

Phosphoric acid doped imidazolium polysulfone membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Jingshuai; Li, Qingfeng; Jensen, Jens Oluf

2012-01-01

A novel acid–base polymer membrane is prepared by doping of imidazolium polysulfone with phosphoric acid for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Polysulfone is first chloromethylated, followed by functionalization of the chloromethylated polysulfone with alkyl imidazoles i.e. me...

Removal of 125I from radioactive experimental waste with an anion exchange paper membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Hiroyoshi; Kagoshima, Mayumi

2000-01-01

The behavior of radioactive iodide and chloride ions through an anion exchange paper membrane to remove 125 I from radioactive experimental waste has been studied with nonequilibrium thermodynamic analyses. Anion exchange paper membrane was found to be electroconductively more permeable to iodide ion than to chloride ion. The iodide ion bound more strongly to the anion exchange site within a membrane phase than the chloride ion by more than twice. The results suggested that an anion exchange paper membrane was appropriate for the filtration removal system

Covalently cross-linked polyetheretherketone proton exchange membrane for DMFC

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2009-05-01

Full Text Available -7 cm2/s) and good electrochemical stability. The results suggested that cross-linked polyetheretherketone membrane is particularly promising to be used as proton exchange membrane for the direct methanol fuel cell application....

Ion exchange technology assessment report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duhn, E.F.

1992-01-01

In the execution of its charter, the SRS Ion Exchange Technology Assessment Team has determined that ion exchange (IX) technology has evolved to the point where it should now be considered as a viable alternative to the SRS reference ITP/LW/PH process. The ion exchange media available today offer the ability to design ion exchange processing systems tailored to the unique physical and chemical properties of SRS soluble HLW's. The technical assessment of IX technology and its applicability to the processing of SRS soluble HLW has demonstrated that IX is unquestionably a viable technology. A task team was chartered to evaluate the technology of ion exchange and its potential for replacing the present In-Tank Precipitation and proposed Late Wash processes to remove Cs, Sr, and Pu from soluble salt solutions at the Savannah River Site. This report documents the ion exchange technology assessment and conclusions of the task team

Morphologically Aligned Cation-Exchange Membranes by a Pulsed Electric Field for Reverse Electrodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ju-Young; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Ju-Hyuk; Kim, Seok; Moon, Seung-Hyeon

2015-07-21

A low-resistance ion-exchange membrane is essential to achieve the high-performance energy conversion or storage systems. The formation methods for low-resistance membranes are various; one of the methods is the ion channel alignment of an ion-exchange membrane under a direct current (DC) electric field. In this study, we suggest a more effective alignment method than the process with the DC electric field. First, an ion-exchange membrane was prepared under a pulsed electric field [alternating current (AC) mode] to enhance the effectiveness of the alignment. The membrane properties and the performance in reverse electrodialysis (RED) were then examined to assess the membrane resistance and ion selectivity. The results show that the membrane electrical resistance (MER) had a lower value of 0.86 Ω cm(2) for the AC membrane than 2.13 Ω cm(2) observed for the DC membrane and 4.30 Ω cm(2) observed for the pristine membrane. Furthermore, RED achieved 1.34 W/m(2) of maximum power density for the AC membrane, whereas that for the DC membrane was found to be 1.14 W/m(2) [a RED stack assembled with CMX, used as a commercial cation-exchange membrane (CEM), showed 1.07 W/m(2)]. Thereby, the novel preparation process for a remarkable low-resistance membrane with high ion selectivity was demonstrated.

Homogeneous cation exchange membrane by radiation grafting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolhe, Shailesh M.; G, Agathian; Ashok Kumar

2001-01-01

Preparation of a strong cation exchange membrane by radiation grafting of styrene on to polyethylene (LDPE) film by mutual irradiation technique in the presence of air followed by sulfonation is described. The grafting has been carried out in the presence of air and without any additive. Low dose rate has been seen to facilitate the grafting. Further higher the grafting percentage more is the exchange capacity. The addition of a swelling agent during the sulfonation helped in achieving the high exchange capacity. The TGA-MASS analysis confirmed the grafting and the sulfonation. (author)

Preparation and characterization of self-crosslinked organic/inorganic proton exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Shuangling; Cui, Xuejun; Dou, Sen; Liu, Wencong

A series of silicon-containing sulfonated polystyrene/acrylate (Si-sPS/A) nanoparticles are successfully synthesized via simple emulsion polymerization method. The Si-sPS/A latexes show good film-forming capability and the self-crosslinked organic/inorganic proton exchange membranes are prepared by pouring the Si-sPS/A nanoparticle latexes into glass plates and drying at 60 °C for 10 h and 120 °C for 2 h. The potential of the membranes in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) is characterized preliminarily by studying their thermal stability, ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, methanol diffusion coefficient, proton conductivity and selectivity (proton conductivity/methanol diffusion coefficient). The results indicate that these membranes possess excellent thermal stability and methanol barrier due to the existence of self-crosslinked silica network. In addition, the proton conductivity of the membranes is in the range of 10 -3-10 -2 S cm -1 and all the membranes show much higher selectivity in comparison with Nafion ® 117. These results suggest that the self-crosslinked organic/inorganic proton exchange membranes are particularly promising in DMFC applications.

Ionic Resistance and Permselectivity Tradeoffs in Anion Exchange Membranes

KAUST Repository

Geise, Geoffrey M.

2013-10-23

Salinity gradient energy technologies, such as reverse electrodialysis (RED) and capacitive mixing based on Donnan potential (Capmix CDP), could help address the global need for noncarbon-based energy. Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are a key component in these systems, and improved AEMs are needed in order to optimize and extend salinity gradient energy technologies. We measured ionic resistance and permselectivity properties of quaternary ammonium-functionalized AEMs based on poly(sulfone) and poly(phenylene oxide) polymer backbones and developed structure-property relationships between the transport properties and the water content and fixed charge concentration of the membranes. Ion transport and ion exclusion properties depend on the volume fraction of water in the polymer membrane, and the chemical nature of the polymer itself can influence fine-tuning of the transport properties to obtain membranes with other useful properties, such as chemical and dimensional stability. The ionic resistance of the AEMs considered in this study decreased by more than 3 orders of magnitude (i.e., from 3900 to 1.6 Ω m) and the permselectivity decreased by 6% (i.e., from 0.91 to 0.85) as the volume fraction of water in the polymer was varied by a factor of 3.8 (i.e., from 0.1 to 0.38). Water content was used to rationalize a tradeoff relationship between the permselectivity and ionic resistance of these AEMs whereby polymers with higher water content tend to have lower ionic resistance and lower permselectivity. The correlation of ion transport properties with water volume fraction and fixed charge concentration is discussed with emphasis on the importance of considering water volume fraction when interpreting ion transport data. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYVINYLIDENE FLUORIDE - IMIDAZOLIUM FUNCTIONALIZED POLYSULFONE BLEND ANION EXCHANGE MEMBRANE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. VELU

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Anion exchange membrane (AEM is one of the core components of an alkaline fuel cell influencing the fuel cell’s performance, durability and stability. Out of the many anion exchange membranes reported so far, imidazolium functionalized polysulfone (PSf-ImOH membrane has been identified to have high hydroxide ionic conductivity, reaching up to 50 mS cm-1 at 20oC. However, at high levels of ion exchange capacity, the membrane’s water uptake and swelling ratio increases significantly with temperature thus destabilizing it and making it unfit for potential use in high temperature alkaline fuel cells. This limitation of PSf-ImOH membranes has been overcome by blending it with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF polymer, which is a thermally stable and highly hydrophobic polymer. PSf-ImOH membrane with a high degree of chloromethylation (180% was synthesized and blended with PVDF at different weight ratios (PVDF / PSf-ImOH: 30/70, 50/50 and 70/30 to create a series of novel anion exchange membranes. The prepared membranes were characterized to study their structure, water uptake, swelling ratio, solubility in low boiling water soluble solvents, thermal stability, ion exchange capacity (IEC and ionic conductivity (IC at different temperatures. The 70% PVDF blend membrane demonstrated the better performance in terms of IEC, IC and water uptake properties compared to other membranes. Comparative studies on the water uptake and IC variation between the 70% PVDF blend membrane and pure PSfImOH membrane (having the same IEC as that of the blend membrane, clearly indicated the superiority and the promising use of the blend membrane in alkaline fuel cell especially for high temperature working condition.

Preparation of Two-Layer Anion-Exchange Poly(ethersulfone Based Membrane: Effect of Surface Modification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Zarybnicka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The present work deals with the surface modification of a commercial microfiltration poly(ethersulfone membrane by graft polymerization technique. Poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene-co-4-vinylbenzylchloride surface layer was covalently attached onto the poly(ethersulfone support layer to improve the membrane electrochemical properties. Followed by amination, a two-layer anion-exchange membrane was prepared. The effect of surface layer treatment using the extraction in various solvents on membrane morphological and electrochemical characteristics was studied. The membranes were tested from the point of view of water content, ion-exchange capacity, specific resistance, permselectivity, FT-IR spectroscopy, and SEM analysis. It was found that the two-layer anion-exchange membranes after the extraction using tetrahydrofuran or toluene exhibited smooth and porous surface layer, which resulted in improved ion-exchange capacity, electrical resistance, and permselectivity of the membranes.

A novel anion exchange membrane from polystyrene (ethylene butylene) polystyrene: Synthesis and characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinodh, Rajangam; Ilakkiya, Arjunan; Elamathi, Swaminathan [Department of Chemistry, Anna University Chennai, Sardar Patel Road, Chennai 600025, Tamil Nadu (India); Sangeetha, Dharmalingam, E-mail: sangeetha@annauniv.ed [Department of Chemistry, Anna University Chennai, Sardar Patel Road, Chennai 600025, Tamil Nadu (India)

2010-02-25

We look forward for an eco-friendly hydrocarbon polymer with higher molecular weight for the preparation of an anion exchange membrane. Polystyrene ethylene butylene polystyrene (PSEBS) was chosen as the polymer matrix. The anion exchange membrane was prepared from PSEBS tri-block co-polymer and then the properties were characterized for alkaline fuel cell application. The preparation of anion exchange polymer involved two steps namely chloromethylation and quaternization. The anion exchange membrane with high conductivity has been prepared by introducing quaternary ammonium groups in to the polymer. Finally, the membrane was prepared using solution casting method. The solution casting method yields highly hydrophilic membranes with uniform structure that were suitable for electrochemical applications. The efficiency of the entrapment was monitored by swelling ratio, chemical stability and ion exchange measurement. The characteristic structural properties of the membrane were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy and {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy. The thermal stability of the membrane was characterized by TGA, DSC and DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis). The prepared uniform electrolyte membrane in this study has high thermal and chemical stability. The surface morphology and elemental composition of the quaternized PSEBS was determined by SEM-EDXA techniques, respectively. The measured hydroxyl ion conductivity of the synthesized alkaline PSEBS polymer electrolyte membrane showed ionic conductivity in the range of 10{sup -3} S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. It was found that the substitution provided a flexible, chemically and thermally stable membrane. Hence, the membrane will have potential application in the alkaline fuel cell.

A novel anion exchange membrane from polystyrene (ethylene butylene) polystyrene: Synthesis and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinodh, Rajangam; Ilakkiya, Arjunan; Elamathi, Swaminathan; Sangeetha, Dharmalingam

2010-01-01

We look forward for an eco-friendly hydrocarbon polymer with higher molecular weight for the preparation of an anion exchange membrane. Polystyrene ethylene butylene polystyrene (PSEBS) was chosen as the polymer matrix. The anion exchange membrane was prepared from PSEBS tri-block co-polymer and then the properties were characterized for alkaline fuel cell application. The preparation of anion exchange polymer involved two steps namely chloromethylation and quaternization. The anion exchange membrane with high conductivity has been prepared by introducing quaternary ammonium groups in to the polymer. Finally, the membrane was prepared using solution casting method. The solution casting method yields highly hydrophilic membranes with uniform structure that were suitable for electrochemical applications. The efficiency of the entrapment was monitored by swelling ratio, chemical stability and ion exchange measurement. The characteristic structural properties of the membrane were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy and 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The thermal stability of the membrane was characterized by TGA, DSC and DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis). The prepared uniform electrolyte membrane in this study has high thermal and chemical stability. The surface morphology and elemental composition of the quaternized PSEBS was determined by SEM-EDXA techniques, respectively. The measured hydroxyl ion conductivity of the synthesized alkaline PSEBS polymer electrolyte membrane showed ionic conductivity in the range of 10 -3 S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. It was found that the substitution provided a flexible, chemically and thermally stable membrane. Hence, the membrane will have potential application in the alkaline fuel cell.

Method of detecting defects in ion exchange membranes of electrochemical cells by chemochromic sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Brooker, Robert Paul; Mohajeri, Nahid

2016-01-05

A method of detecting defects in membranes such as ion exchange membranes of electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cell includes an assembly having an anode side and a cathode side with the ion exchange membrane in between. In a configuration step a chemochromic sensor is placed above the cathode and flow isolation hardware lateral to the ion exchange membrane which prevents a flow of hydrogen (H.sub.2) between the cathode and anode side. The anode side is exposed to a first reactant fluid including hydrogen. The chemochromic sensor is examined after the exposing for a color change. A color change evidences the ion exchange membrane has at least one defect that permits H.sub.2 transmission therethrough.

Anion- or Cation-Exchange Membranes for NaBH4/H2O2 Fuel Cells?

Science.gov (United States)

Sljukić, Biljana; Morais, Ana L; Santos, Diogo M F; Sequeira, César A C

2012-07-19

Direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFC), which operate on sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the fuel, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as the oxidant, are receiving increasing attention. This is due to their promising use as power sources for space and underwater applications, where air is not available and gas storage poses obvious problems. One key factor to improve the performance of DBFCs concerns the type of separator used. Both anion- and cation-exchange membranes may be considered as potential separators for DBFC. In the present paper, the effect of the membrane type on the performance of laboratory NaBH4/H2O2 fuel cells using Pt electrodes is studied at room temperature. Two commercial ion-exchange membranes from Membranes International Inc., an anion-exchange membrane (AMI-7001S) and a cation-exchange membrane (CMI-7000S), are tested as ionic separators for the DBFC. The membranes are compared directly by the observation and analysis of the corresponding DBFC's performance. Cell polarization, power density, stability, and durability tests are used in the membranes' evaluation. Energy densities and specific capacities are estimated. Most tests conducted, clearly indicate a superior performance of the cation-exchange membranes over the anion-exchange membrane. The two membranes are also compared with several other previously tested commercial membranes. For long term cell operation, these membranes seem to outperform the stability of the benchmark Nafion membranes but further studies are still required to improve their instantaneous power load.

Electrical Resistance and Transport Numbers of Ion-Exchange Membranes Used in Electrodialytic Soil Remediation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Villumsen, Arne

1999-01-01

Electrodialytic soil remediation is a recently developed method to decontaminate heavy metal polluted soil using ion-exchange membranes. In this method one side of the ion-exchange membrane is in direct contact with the polluted soil. It is of great importance to know if this contact with the soil...... different electrodialytic soil remediation experiments. The experiments showed that after the use in electrodialytic soil remediation, the ion-exchange membranes had transport numbers in the same magnitude as new membranes. The electrical resistance for six membranes did not differ from that of new...

A concise guide to sustainable PEMFCs: recent advances in improving both oxygen reduction catalysts and proton exchange membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Scofield, Megan E; Liu, Haiqing; Wong, Stanislaus S

2015-08-21

The rising interest in fuel cell vehicle technology (FCV) has engendered a growing need and realization to develop rational chemical strategies to create highly efficient, durable, and cost-effective fuel cells. Specifically, technical limitations associated with the major constituent components of the basic proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), namely the cathode catalyst and the proton exchange membrane (PEM), have proven to be particularly demanding to overcome. Therefore, research trends within the community in recent years have focused on (i) accelerating the sluggish kinetics of the catalyst at the cathode and (ii) minimizing overall Pt content, while simultaneously (a) maximizing activity and durability as well as (b) increasing membrane proton conductivity without causing any concomitant loss in either stability or as a result of damage due to flooding. In this light, as an example, high temperature PEMFCs offer a promising avenue to improve the overall efficiency and marketability of fuel cell technology. In this Critical Review, recent advances in optimizing both cathode materials and PEMs as well as the future and peculiar challenges associated with each of these systems will be discussed.

Sulfonated hydrocarbon graft architectures for cation exchange membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mads Møller; Jankova Atanasova, Katja; Hvilsted, Søren

2013-01-01

A synthetic strategy to hydrocarbon graft architectures prepared from a commercial polysulfone and aimed as ion exchange membrane material is proposed. Polystyrene is grafted from a polysulfone macroinitiator by atom transfer radical polymerization, and subsequently sulfonated with acetyl sulfate...... to various degrees. Series of grafting densities and graft lengths are prepared, and membranes are solvent cast from DMSO. The membrane properties in aqueous environments are evaluated from their water swelling behavior, and their thermal properties and stability are investigated by thermogravimetric...

Cross-lined PEEK proton exchange membranes for fuel cell - Conference Poster

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The low-cost cross-linked Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) proton exchange membranes were prepared via the simple route. The membranes exhibited similar electrochemical properties as compared with commercial Nafion. The membranes were highly proton...

Radiation induced graft copolymerization for preparation of cation exchange membranes: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed Mahmoud Nasef; Hamdani Saidi; Hussin Mohd Nor

1999-01-01

Cation exchange membranes are regarded as the ideal solid polymer electrolyte materials for the development of various electrochemical energy conversion applications where significant improvements in the current density are required. Such membranes require special polymers and preparation techniques to maintain high chemical , mechanical and thermal stability in addition to high ionic conductivity and low resistance. A lot of different techniques have been proposed in the past to prepare such membranes. Radiation-induced graft copolymerization provides an attractive ft method for modification of chemical and physical properties of polymeric materials and is of particular interest in achieving specially desired cation exchange membranes as well as excellent membrane properties. This is due to the ability to control the membrane compositions as well as properties by proper selection of grafting conditions. Therefore numerous parameters have to be investigated to properly select the right polymeric materials, radiation grafting technique and the grafting conditions to be employed. In this paper a state-of-the-art of radiation-induced graft copolymerization for preparation of cation exchange membranes and their applications are briefly reviewed. (Author)

Membrane technology and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, F.H.

1997-01-01

The main purpose of this dissertation is to prepare and characterize some synthetic membranes obtained by radiation-induced graft copolymerization of and A Am unitary and binary system onto nylon-6 films. The optimum conditions at which the grafting process proceeded homogeneously were determined. Some selected properties of the prepared membranes were studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical properties and U.V./vis, instruments and techniques were used to characterize the prepared membranes. The use of such membranes for the decontamination of radioactive waste and some heavy metal ions as water pollutants were investigated. These grafted membranes showed good cation exchange properties and may be of practical interest in waste water treatment whether this water was radioactive or not. 4 tabs., 68 figs., 146 refs

Anion exchange membrane based on alkali doped poly(2,5-benzimidazole) for alkaline membrane fuel cell

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2010-03-01

Full Text Available was prepared. The alkali doped poly(2,5-benzimidazole) membrane is a promising candidate as anion exchange membrane for fuel cell application. The alkali doped poly(2,5-benzimidazole) membrane reached an anion conductivity of 2.3×10-2 S cm-1 at room temperature...

Advanced Heat/Mass Exchanger Technology for Geothermal and Solar Renewable Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greiner, Miles [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Childress, Amy [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Hiibel, Sage [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Kim, Kwang [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Park, Chanwoo [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States); Wirtz, Richard [Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States)

2014-12-16

Northern Nevada has abundant geothermal and solar energy resources, and these renewable energy sources provide an ample opportunity to produce economically viable power. Heat/mass exchangers are essential components to any energy conversion system. Improvements in the heat/mass exchange process will lead to smaller, less costly (more efficient) systems. There is an emerging heat transfer technology, based on micro/nano/molecular-scale surface science that can be applied to heat/mass exchanger design. The objective is to develop and characterize unique coating materials, surface configurations and membranes capable of accommodating a 10-fold increase in heat/mass exchanger performance via phase change processes (boiling, condensation, etc.) and single phase convective heat/mass transfer.

Preparation and performance evaluation of novel alkaline stable anion exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Irfan, Muhammad; Bakangura, Erigene; Afsar, Noor Ul; Hossain, Md. Masem; Ran, Jin; Xu, Tongwen

2017-07-01

Novel alkaline stable anion exchange membranes are prepared from various amounts of N-methyl dipicolylamine (MDPA) and brominated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (BPPO). The dipicolylamine and MDPA are synthesized through condensation reaction and confirmed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The morphologies of prepared membranes are investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical and physical properties of AEMs are tested comprising water uptake (WU), ion exchange capacity (IEC), alkaline stability, linear expansion ratio (LER), thermal stability and mechanical stability. The obtained hydroxide conductivity of MDPA-4 is 66.5 mS/cm at 80 °C. The MDPA-4 membrane shows good alkaline stability, high hydroxide conductivity, low methanol permeability (3.43 × 10-7 cm2/s), higher selectivity (8.26 × 107 mS s/cm3), less water uptake (41.1%) and lower linear expansion (11.1%) despite of high IEC value (1.62 mmol/g). The results prove that MDPA membranes have great potential application in anion exchange membrane fuel cell.

Development of novel ion-exchange membranes for electrodialysis of seawater by electron-beam-induced graft polymerization (4). Polymeric structures of cation-exchange membranes based on nylon-6 film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazawa, Tadashi; Asari, Yuki; Miyoshi, Kazuyoshi; Umeno, Daisuke; Saito, Kyoichi; Nagatani, Takeshi; Yoshikawa, Naohito; Motokawa, Ryuhei; Koizumi, Satoshi

2010-01-01

Cation-exchange membranes containing a sulfonic acid group were prepared by electron-beam-induced graft polymerization of sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) onto a nylon-6 film with a thickness of 25 μm. The lamella sizes and lamella-to-lamella intervals of the resultant cation-exchange membranes (SSS membranes) were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), respectively. With increasing degrees of grafting, the lamella size decreased, whereas the lamella-to-lamella interval increased. This can be explained by that the poly-SSS chain grafted to the periphery of the lamella of nylon 6 partially destroys the lamella and invades the amorphous domain among the lamella. The SSS membrane with a degree of grafting of 150% exhibited a similar performance in the electrodialysis of 0.5 M sodium chloride as a current cation-exchange membrane and possessed the lamella sizes and lamella-to-lamella intervals of 7.6 and 13 nm, respectively. (author)

Purification of crude biodiesel using dry washing and membrane technologies

OpenAIRE

Atadashi, I.M.

2015-01-01

Purification of crude biodiesel is mandatory for the fuel to meet the strict international standard specifications for biodiesel. Therefore, this paper carefully analyzed recently published literatures which deal with the purification of biodiesel. As such, dry washing technologies and the most recent membrane biodiesel purification process have been thoroughly examined. Although purification of biodiesel using dry washing process involving magnesol and ion exchange resins provides high-quali...

Impedance study of membrane dehydration and compression in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Canut, Jean-Marc; Latham, Ruth; Merida, Walter; Harrington, David A. [Institute for Integrated Energy Systems, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada)

2009-07-15

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is used to measure drying and rehydration in proton exchange membrane fuel cells running under load. The hysteresis between forward and backward acquisition of polarization curves is shown to be largely due to changes in the membrane resistance. Drying tests are carried out with hydrogen and simulated reformate (hydrogen and carbon dioxide), and quasi-periodic drying and rehydration conditions are studied. The membrane hydration state is clearly linked to the high-frequency arc in the impedance spectrum, which increases in size for dry conditions indicating an increase in membrane resistance. Changes in impedance spectra as external compression is applied to the cell assembly show that EIS can separate membrane and interfacial effects, and that changes in membrane resistance dominate. Reasons for the presence of a capacitance in parallel with the membrane resistance are discussed. (author)

Plasma-polymerized alkaline anion-exchange membrane: Synthesis and structure characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Jue; Meng Yuedong; Zhang Chengxu; Fang Shidong

2011-01-01

After-glow discharge plasma polymerization was developed for alkaline anion-exchange membranes synthesis using vinylbenzyl chloride as monomer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the chemical structure properties of plasma-polymerized membranes. Ion-exchange capacities of quaternized poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) (QPVBC) membranes were measured to evaluate their capability of hydroxyl ion transport. A mechanism of plasma polymerization using VBC as monomer that accounts for the competitive effects of free radicals polymerization and plasma ablation in the plasma polymerization process was proposed. Our results indicate that plasma discharge power influences the contents of functional groups and the structure of the plasma polymer membranes, which attribute to the coactions of polymerization and ablation. The properties of uniform morphology, good adhesion to the substrate, high thermal stability and satisfying anion conduction level suggest the potential application of QPVBC membrane deposited at discharge power of 20 W in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

Desalination by electrodialysis with ion-exchange membrane prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Seong-Ho; Jeong, Young Han; Ryoo, Jae Jeong; Lee, Kwang-Pill [Department of Chemistry Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Taegu (Korea)

2000-07-01

Ion-exchange membranes modified with triethylamine [-N(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 3}){sub 3}] and phosphoric acid (-PO{sub 3}H) groups were prepared by radiation-induced grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto polyolefin nonwavon fabric (PNF) and subsequent chemical modification of poly (GMA) graft chains. The physical and chemical properties of the GMA-grafted PNF and the PNF modified with ion-exchange groups were investigated by SEM and XPS. The ion-exchange capacities of the cation- and anion-exchange membrane were 0.20 and 1.24mmol/g, respectively. The content of cation- and anion exchange group increased with increasing grafting yield (d.g.=100%). Electrical resistance of PNF modified with TEA and -PO{sub 3}H group decreased with increasing ion-exchange group capacities. Application of the graft-type ion-exchange membranes as separators for electrodialysis enabled use to reduce the time required to achieve 85.5% desalination of the 0.5M NaCl solution. (author)

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK) anion exchange membrane for fuel cell

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2010-08-31

Full Text Available less than proton exchange membrane systems using alcohol as fuel. Many anion exchange membranes based on quaternised polymers have been developed and studied for AMFC3-5. The quaternary ammonium functional groups are the anion conductors...

Anion-exchange membranes in electrochemical energy systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Varcoe, J.R.; Atanassov, P.; Dekel, D.R.; Herring, A.M.; Hickner, M.A.; Kohl, P.A.; Kucernak, A. R.; Mustain, W.E.; Nijmeijer, K.; Scott, Keith; Xu, Tongwen; Zhuang, Lin

2014-01-01

This article provides an up-to-date perspective on the use of anion-exchange membranes in fuel cells, electrolysers, redox flow batteries, reverse electrodialysis cells, and bioelectrochemical systems (e.g. microbial fuel cells). The aim is to highlight key concepts, misconceptions, the current

Influence of Silica/Sulfonated Polyether-Ether Ketone as Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Hydrogen Fueled Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Handayani

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The operation of non-humidified condition of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC using composite sPEEK-silica membrane is reported. Sulfonated membrane of PEEK is known as hydrocarbon polyelectrolyte membrane for PEMFC and direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC. The state of the art of fuel cells is based on the perluorosulfonic acid membrane (Nafion. Nafion has been the most used in both PEMFC and DMFC due to good performance although in low humidified condition showed poor current density. Here we reported the effect of silica in hydrocarbon sPEEK membrane that contributes for a better water management system inside the cell, and showed 0.16 W/cm2 of power density which is 78% higher than that of non-silica modified [Keywords: composite membrane, polyether-ether ketone, silica, proton exchange membrane fuel cell].

Fibrinogen Reduction During Selective Plasma Exchange due to Membrane Fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkubo, Atsushi; Okado, Tomokazu; Miyamoto, Satoko; Hashimoto, Yurie; Komori, Shigeto; Yamamoto, Motoki; Maeda, Takuma; Itagaki, Ayako; Yamamoto, Hiroko; Seshima, Hiroshi; Kurashima, Naoki; Iimori, Soichiro; Naito, Shotaro; Sohara, Eisei; Uchida, Shinichi; Rai, Tatemitsu

2017-06-01

Fibrinogen is substantially reduced by most plasmapheresis modalities but retained in selective plasma exchange using Evacure EC-4A10 (EC-4A). Although EC-4A's fibrinogen sieving coefficient is 0, a session of selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 19%. Here, we investigated sieving coefficient in five patients. When the mean processed plasma volume was 1.15 × plasma volume, the mean reduction of fibrinogen during selective plasma exchange was approximately 15%. Fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0 when the processed plasma volume was 1.0 L, increasing to 0.07 when the processed plasma volume was 3.0 L, with a mean of 0.03 during selective plasma exchange. When fibrinogen sieving coefficient was 0, selective plasma exchange reduced fibrinogen by approximately 10%. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed internal fouling of EC-4A's hollow fiber membrane by substances such as fibrinogen fibrils. Thus, fibrinogen reduction by selective plasma exchange may be predominantly caused by membrane fouling rather than filtration. © 2017 International Society for Apheresis, Japanese Society for Apheresis, and Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.

Mass and Heat Transfer in Ion-Exchange Membranes Applicable to Solid Polymer Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otteroey, M

1996-04-01

In this doctoral thesis, an improved emf method for determination of transference numbers of two counter ions in ion-exchange membranes is presented. Transference numbers were obtained as a continuous function of the composition. The method avoids problems with diffusion by using a stack of membranes. Water transference coefficients in ion-exchange membranes is discussed and reversible and irreversible water transfer is studied by emf methods. Efforts were made to get data relevant to the solid polymer fuel cell. The results support the findings of other researchers that the reversible water transfer is lower than earlier predicted. A chapter on the conductivity of ion-exchange membranes establishes a method to separate the very thin liquid layers surrounding the membranes in a stack. Using the method it was found that the conductivity is obtained with high accuracy and that the liquid layer in a membrane stack can contribute significantly to the total measured resistance. A four point impedance method was tested to measure the conductivity of membranes under fuel cell conditions. Finally, there is a discussion of reversible heat effects and heat transfer in ion-exchange membranes. 155 refs., 45 figs., 13 tabs.

Performance of single chamber biocatalyzed electrolysis with different types of ion exchange membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rozendal, R.A.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Molenkamp, R.J.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2007-01-01

In this paper hydrogen production through biocatalyzed electrolysis was studied for the first time in a single chamber configuration. Single chamber biocatalyzed electrolysis was tested in two configurations: (i) with a cation exchange membrane (CEM) and (ii) with an anion exchange membrane (AEM).

Wastewater treatment with ion-exchange chitin membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulenova, A.; Fjeld, R. A.; Visacky, V.

2001-01-01

Chitin, poly(N-acetyl-D glucosamine) and chitosan, its deacetylated derivates have recently obtained attention as bio-sorbents, because they shown a great ability to accumulate heavy metals and other pollutants. It was found that recovery of metals is strongly affected by pH. At low acidic pH range 4-5 chitin membrane exhibits better selectivity for lead than for cadmium or zinc. Sorption preference for metals decreases in the order: Pb > Cd > Zn. For uranium, as well for strontium was observed significant increase of recovery at decrease of pH to slightly acidic, close to neutral value. It was shown that chemical behavior of chitin membrane is excellent; ion-exchange nature of chitin was not changed during chitin membrane manufacturing process. Using of chitin membrane instead of chitin flake column brings significant increasing of driving force of the separation process, limited in the case of column experimental design by diffusion coefficient, while in the case of membrane process only by mass transfer coefficient. (authors)

Multi-block sulfonated poly(phenylene) copolymer proton exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Fujimoto, Cy H [Albuquerque, NM; Hibbs, Michael [Albuquerque, NM; Ambrosini, Andrea [Albuquerque, NM

2012-02-07

Improved multi-block sulfonated poly(phenylene) copolymer compositions, methods of making the same, and their use as proton exchange membranes (PEM) in hydrogen fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells, in electrode casting solutions and electrodes. The multi-block architecture has defined, controllable hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments. These improved membranes have better ion transport (proton conductivity) and water swelling properties.

Electrochemical acidification of Kraft black liquor by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane: Ion exchange membrane fouling identification and mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Haddad, Maryam; Mikhaylin, Sergey; Bazinet, Laurent; Savadogo, Oumarou; Paris, Jean

2017-02-15

Integrated forest biorefinery offers promising pathways to sustainably diversify the revenue of pulp and paper industry. In this context, lignin can be extracted from a residual stream of Kraft pulping process, called black liquor, and subsequently converted into a wide spectrum of bio-based products. Electrochemical acidification of Kraft black liquor by electrodialysis with bipolar membrane results in lignin extraction and caustic soda production. Even though the implementation of this method requires less chemicals than the chemical acidification process, fouling of the ion exchange membranes and especially bipolar membrane impairs its productivity. Membrane thickness and ash content measurements along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) analysis were performed to identify the nature and mechanisms of the membrane fouling. The results revealed that the fouling layer mostly consisted of organic components and particularly lignin. Based on our proposed fouling mechanisms, throughout the electrodialysis process the pH of the black liquor gradually decreased and as a result more proton ions were available to trigger protonation reaction of lignin phenolic groups and decrease the lignin solubility. Due to the abundance of the proton ions on the surface of the cation exchange layers of the bipolar membrane, destabilized lignin macro-molecules started to self-aggregate and formed lignin clusters on its surface. Over the time, these lignin clusters covered the entire surface of the bipolar membrane and the spaces between the membranes and, eventually, attached to the surface of the cation exchange membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-Flux Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Membranes for Propylene/Propane Separation by Postsynthetic Linker Exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Moon Joo; Kwon, Hyuk Taek; Jeong, Hae-Kwon

2018-01-02

While zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-8, membranes show impressive propylene/propane separation, their throughput needs to be greatly improved for practical applications. A method is described that drastically reduces the effective thickness of ZIF-8 membranes, thereby substantially improving their propylene permeance (that is, flux). The new strategy is based on a controlled single-crystal to single-crystal linker exchange of 2-methylimidazole in ZIF-8 membrane grains with 2-imidazolecarboxaldehyde (ZIF-90 linker), thereby enlarging the effective aperture size of ZIF-8. The linker-exchanged ZIF-8 membranes showed a drastic increase in propylene permeance by about four times, with a negligible loss in propylene/propane separation factor when compared to as-prepared membranes. The linker-exchange effect depends on the membrane synthesis method. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Advanced Membrane Separation Technologies for Energy Recovery from Industrial Process Streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keiser, J. R.; Wang, D. [Gas Technology Institute; Bischoff, B.; Ciora, [Media and Process Technology; Radhakrishnan, B.; Gorti, S. B.

2013-01-14

Recovery of energy from relatively low-temperature waste streams is a goal that has not been achieved on any large scale. Heat exchangers do not operate efficiently with low-temperature streams and thus require such large heat exchanger surface areas that they are not practical. Condensing economizers offer one option for heat recovery from such streams, but they have not been widely implemented by industry. A promising alternative to these heat exchangers and economizers is a prototype ceramic membrane system using transport membrane technology for separation of water vapor and recovery of heat. This system was successfully tested by the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) on a natural gas fired boiler where the flue gas is relatively clean and free of contaminants. However, since the tubes of the prototype system were constructed of aluminum oxide, the brittle nature of the tubes limited the robustness of the system and even limited the length of tubes that could be used. In order to improve the robustness of the membrane tubes and make the system more suitable for industrial applications, this project was initiated with the objective of developing a system with materials that would permit the system to function successfully on a larger scale and in contaminated and potentially corrosive industrial environments. This required identifying likely industrial environments and the hazards associated with those environments. Based on the hazardous components in these environments, candidate metallic materials were identified that are expected to have sufficient strength, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance to permit production of longer tubes that could function in the industrial environments identified. Tests were conducted to determine the corrosion resistance of these candidate alloys, and the feasibility of forming these materials into porous substrates was assessed. Once the most promising metallic materials were identified, the ability to form an alumina

Interfacial Water-Transport Effects in Proton-Exchange Membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kienitz, Brian; Yamada, Haruhiko; Nonoyama, Nobuaki; Weber, Adam

2009-11-19

It is well known that the proton-exchange membrane is perhaps the most critical component of a polymer-electrolyte fuel cell. Typical membranes, such as Nafion(R), require hydration to conduct efficiently and are instrumental in cell water management. Recently, evidence has been shown that these membranes might have different interfacial morphology and transport properties than in the bulk. In this paper, experimental data combined with theoretical simulations will be presented that explore the existence and impact of interfacial resistance on water transport for Nafion(R) 21x membranes. A mass-transfer coefficient for the interfacial resistance is calculated from experimental data using different permeation cells. This coefficient is shown to depend exponentially on relative humidity or water activity. The interfacial resistance does not seem to exist for liquid/membrane or membrane/membrane interfaces. The effect of the interfacial resistance is to flatten the water-content profiles within the membrane during operation. Under typical operating conditions, the resistance is on par with the water-transport resistance of the bulk membrane. Thus, the interfacial resistance can be dominant especially in thin, dry membranes and can affect overall fuel-cell performance.

Study on properties of cation-exchange membranes containing sulfonate groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zu Jianhua; Wu Minghong; Qiu Shilong; Yao Side; Ye Yin

2004-01-01

Strong acid cation-exchange membranes were obtained by irradiation grafting of acrylic acid (AA) and sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) onto high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Thermal and chemical stability of the cation-exchange membranes was investigated. The effectiveness of sulfonate-containing films was conformed in inducing high resistance to oxidative degradation. Thermal stability of the grafted HDPE was weaker than HDPE as detected by TGA analyzing technique. Char residue by TGA of the grafted HDPE is greater than that of HDPE. It shows that the branch chains including -SO 3 Na and -COOH was grafted onto the backbone of HDPE, and thus give a catalytic impetus to the charing. Crystallinity of the grafted membranes decreased with increasing grafting yield of the membrane samples. It is supposed that the decreased crystallinity is due to collective effects of the inherent crystallinity dilution by the amorphous grafted chains and disruption of spherulitic crystallites of the HDPE component

Study of Aging ion exchange membranes used in separation processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellakhal, N.; Ghalloussi, R.; Dammak, L.

2009-01-01

Presently, the most important application of ion exchange membranes (IEM) is the electrodialysis. This technique consists of a membrane separation using a series of anion exchange membranes alternately and cations, often used for the desalination of brackish water. These membranes are confronted with problems of aging. Indeed, the more they are used more physical and chemical properties will change. A comparative study of the behavior of both EMI and new but the same treatment is carried out by measuring a magnitude transfer characteristic: ion permeability. Ionic permeability is a physical quantity can have an idea about the selectivity of the membrane towards the charged species and the p orosity o f the membrane. It is a transport of ions (cations + anions) through the membrane. Thus, determining the ion permeability is to determine the diffusion flux of a strong electrolyte through a membrane separating two compartments (one containing electrolytes and other water initially ultrapure who will gradually electrolyte through the membrane). The measurement technique used is that by conductimetric detection because of the ease of its implementation and its accuracy. Thus, the variation of the concentration of the electrolyte is continuously monitored by measuring the conductivity of the solution diluted with time. The curves s = f (t) MEA and MEC new and used varying concentration of the electrolyte membranes show that let in less waste of strong electrolyte (NaCl and HCl) than new ones. This can be explained by: - The functional sites are combined with polyvalent ions present even in trace amounts in the solution process and become inactive. The membrane loses its hydrophilic character and turns into a film almost hydrophobic. - The chemical attacks and electrodialysis operations have degraded and eliminated much of the fixed sites leading to the same effects on the hydrophilic membrane. - These two assumptions have been reinforced by the extent of exchange

Nafion®/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Treekamol, Yaowapa; Schieda, Mauricio; Robitaille, Lucie; MacKinnon, Sean M.; Mokrini, Asmae; Shi, Zhiqing; Holdcroft, Steven; Schulte, Karl I.; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

2014-01-01

A series of composite membranes were prepared by dispersing fluorinated polyoxadiazole oligomer (ODF)-functionalized silica nanoparticles in a Nafion matrix. Both melt-extrusion and solvent casting processes were explored. Ion exchange capacity

Comparing the short and long term stability of biodegradable, ceramic and cation exchange membranes in microbial fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Winfield, Jonathan; Chambers, Lily D; Rossiter, Jonathan; Ieropoulos, Ioannis

2013-11-01

The long and short-term stability of two porous dependent ion exchange materials; starch-based compostable bags (BioBag) and ceramic, were compared to commercially available cation exchange membrane (CEM) in microbial fuel cells. Using bi-directional polarisation methods, CEM exhibited power overshoot during the forward sweep followed by significant power decline over the reverse sweep (38%). The porous membranes displayed no power overshoot with comparably smaller drops in power during the reverse sweep (ceramic 8%, BioBag 5.5%). The total internal resistance at maximum power increased by 64% for CEM compared to 4% (ceramic) and 6% (BioBag). Under fixed external resistive loads, CEM exhibited steeper pH reductions than the porous membranes. Despite its limited lifetime, the BioBag proved an efficient material for a stable microbial environment until failing after 8 months, due to natural degradation. These findings highlight porous separators as ideal candidates for advancing MFC technology in terms of cost and operation stability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cation-exchange membranes: comparison of homopolymer, block copolymer, and heterogeneous membranes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schauer, Jan; Llanos, J.; Žitka, Jan; Hnát, J.; Bouzek, K.

2012-01-01

Roč. 124, SI 1 (2012), E66-E72 ISSN 0021-8995 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E08005 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 212903 - WELTEMP Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : cation-exchange membranes * poly(phenylene oxide) * poly(ether ketones ) Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.395, year: 2012

Novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes for alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanmei; Fang, Jun; Wu, Yongbin; Xu, Hankun; Chi, Xianjun; Li, Wei; Yang, Yixu; Yan, Ge; Zhuang, Yongze

2012-09-01

A series of novel fluoropolymer anion exchange membranes based on the copolymer of vinylbenzyl chloride, butyl methacrylate, and hexafluorobutyl methacrylate has been prepared. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis techniques are used to study the chemical structure and chemical composition of the membranes. The water uptake, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), conductivity, methanol permeability, and chemical stability of the membranes are also determined. The membranes exhibit high anionic conductivity in deionized water at 65 °C ranging from 3.86×10(-2) S cm(-1) to 4.36×10(-2) S cm(-1). The methanol permeability coefficients of the membranes are in the range of 4.21-5.80×10(-8) cm(2) s(-1) at 65 °C. The novel membranes also show good chemical and thermal stability. An open-circuit voltage of 0.7 V and a maximum power density of 53.2 mW cm(-2) of alkaline direct methanol fuel cell (ADMFC) with the membrane C, 1 M methanol, 1 M NaOH, and humidified oxygen are achieved at 65 °C. Therefore, these membranes have great potential for applications in fuel cell systems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for space and electric vehicle applications: From basic research to technology development

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Supramaniam; Mukerjee, Sanjeev; Parthasarathy, A.; CesarFerreira, A.; Wakizoe, Masanobu; Rho, Yong Woo; Kim, Junbom; Mosdale, Renaut A.; Paetzold, Ronald F.; Lee, James

1994-01-01

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the most promising electrochemical power sources for space and electric vehicle applications. The wide spectrum of R&D activities on PEMFC's, carried out in our Center from 1988 to date, is as follows (1) Electrode Kinetic and Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction; (2) Optimization of Structures of Electrodes and of Membrane and Electrode Assemblies; (3) Selection and Evaluation of Advanced Proton Conducting Membranes and of Operating Conditions to Attain High Energy Efficiency; (4) Modeling Analysis of Fuel Cell Performance and of Thermal and Water Management; and (5) Engineering Design and Development of Multicell Stacks. The accomplishments on these tasks may be summarized as follows: (1) A microelectrode technique was developed to determine the electrode kinetic parameters for the fuel cell reactions and mass transport parameters for the H2 and O2 reactants in the proton conducting membrane. (2) High energy efficiencies and high power densities were demonstrated in PEMFCs with low platinum loading electrodes (0.4 mg/cm(exp 2) or less), advanced membranes and optimized structures of membrane and electrode assemblies, as well as operating conditions. (3) The modeling analyses revealed methods to minimize mass transport limitations, particularly with air as the cathodic reactant; and for efficient thermal and water management. (4) Work is in progress to develop multi-kilowatt stacks with the electrodes containing low platinum loadings.

Electrodialytic separation of alkali-element ions with the aid of ion-exchange membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurskii, V.S.; Moskvin, L.N.

1988-01-01

Electrodialytic separation of ions bearing charges of the same sign with the aid of ion-exchange membranes has been examined in the literature in relation to the so-called ideal membranes, which do not exhibit selectivity with respect to one ion type in ion exchange. It has been shown that separation on such membranes is effective only for counterions differing in size of charge. A matter of greater importance from the practical standpoint is the possibility of using electrodialysis for separating ions bearing like charges and having similar properties, including ionic forms of isotopes of the same element. In this paper they report a comparative study of ion separation, with reference to the Cs-Na pair, by electrodialysis through various types of cation-exchange membranes. Changes of the solution concentration in the cathode compartment were monitored by measurement of 22 Na and 137 Cs activities

On the mechanism of boron transfer through the cation-exchange membrane MK-40

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilipenko, A.T.; Varvaruk, L.A.; Grebenyuk, V.D.; Trachevskij, V.V.

1985-01-01

Proceses of boron electromigration in solutions with different pH values are investigated. It is shown, that boron transfer through ion-exchange membranes is determined by pH of solution. Phenomenon of boron transfer (existing in the solution in the form of boric acid) through cation-exchange membrane MK-40 has been detected and described for the first time. The process of boron (3) complexing with sulfate groups of the membrane by means of competing reversible substitution of hydroxoligands is the basis of the phenomenon

Application of the nanocomposite membrane as electrolyte of proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahreni

2010-01-01

Hydrogen fuel cells proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is currently still in development and commercialization. Several barriers to the commercialization of these Nafion membrane as electrolyte is its very sensitive to humidity fluctuation. Nafion must be modified by making a composite Nafion-SiO 2 -HPA to increase electrolyte resistance against humidity fluctuations during the cell used. Research carried out by mixing Nafion solution with Tetra Ethoxy Ortho Silicate (TEOS) and conductive materials is phosphotungstic acid (PWA) by varying the ratio of Nafion, TEOS and PWA. The membrane is produced by heating a mixture of Nafion, TEOS and PWA by varying the evaporation temperature, time and annealing temperature to obtain the transparent membrane. The resulting membrane was analyzed its physical, chemical and electrochemical properties by applying the membrane as electrolyte of PEMFC at various humidity and temperature of operation. The results showed that at low temperatures (30-90 °C) and high humidity at 100 % RH, pure Nafion membrane is better than composite membrane (Nafion-SiO 2 -PWA), but at low humidity condition composite membrane is better than the pure Nafion membrane. It can be concluded that the composite membranes of (Nafion-SiO 2 -PWA) can be used as electrolyte of PEMFC operated at low humidity (40 % RH) and temperature between (30-90 °C). (author)

based anion exchange membrane for alkaline polymer electrolyte

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

Abstract. Hydroxyl ion (OH–) conducting anion exchange membranes based on modified poly (phenylene oxide) are fabricated for their application in alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells (APEFCs). In the present study, chloromethylation of poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) is performed by aryl substitution rather than benzyl.

Modelling the transport of carbonic acid anions through anion-exchange membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikonenko, V.; Lebedev, K.; Manzanares, J.A.; Pourcelly, G.

2003-01-01

Electrodiffusion of carbonate and bicarbonate anions through anion-exchange membranes (AEM) is described on the basis of the Nernst-Planck equations taking into account coupled hydrolysis reactions in the external diffusion boundary layers (DBLs) and internal pore solution. The model supposes local electroneutrality as well as chemical and thermodynamic equilibrium. The transport is considered in three layers being an anion exchange membrane and two adjoining diffusion layers. A mechanism of competitive transport of HCO 3 - and CO 3 2- anions through the membrane which takes into account Donnan exclusion of H + ions is proposed. It is predicted that the pH of the depleting solution decreases and that of the concentrating solution increases during electrodialysis (ED). Eventual deviations from local electroneutrality and local chemical equilibrium are discussed

Modeling the ion transfer and polarization of ion exchange membranes in bioelectrochemical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Harnisch, Falk; Warmbier, Robert; Schneider, Ralf; Schröder, Uwe

2009-06-01

An explicit numerical model for the charge balancing ion transfer across monopolar ion exchange membranes under conditions of bioelectrochemical systems is presented. Diffusion and migration equations have been solved according to the Nernst-Planck Equation and the resulting ion concentrations, pH values and the resistance values of the membrane for different conditions were computed. The modeling results underline the principle limitations of the application of ion exchange membranes in biological fuel cells and electrolyzers, caused by the inherent occurrence of a pH-gradient between anode and cathode compartment, and an increased ohmic membrane resistance at decreasing electrolyte concentrations. Finally, the physical and numerical limitations of the model are discussed.

Investigation of Electrochemical and Morphological Properties of Mixed Matrix Polysulfone-Silica Anion Exchange Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khoiruddin

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Mixed matrix anion exchange membranes (AEMs were synthesized using dry-wet phase inversion. The casting solutions were prepared by dispersing finely ground anion-exchange resin particles in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc solutions of polysulfone (PSf. Subsequently, nanosilica particles were introduced into the membranes. The results show that evaporation time (tev and solution composition contributed to membrane properties formation. A longer tev produces membranes with reduced void fraction inside the membranes, thus the amount of water adsorbed and membrane conductivity are reduced. Meanwhile, the permselectivity was improved by increasing tev, since a longer tev produces membranes with a narrower channel for ion migration and more effective Donnan exclusion. The incorporation of 0.5 %-wt nanosilica particles into the polymer matrix led to conductivity improvement (from 2.27 to 3.41 mS.cm-1. This may be associated with additional pathway formation by hydroxyl groups on the silica surface that entraps water and assists ion migration. However, at further silica loading (1.0 and 1.5 %-wt, these properties decreased (to 1.9 and 1.4 mS.cm-1 respectively, which attributed to inaccessibility of ion-exchange functional groups due to membrane compactness. It was found from the results that nanosilica contributes to membrane formation (increases casting solution viscosity then reduces void fraction and membrane functional group addition (provides hydroxyl groups.

Synthesis and characterization of Nafion/TiO2 nanocomposite membrane for proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Young; Cho, Sung Yong

2011-08-01

In this study, the syntheses and characterizations of Nafion/TiO2 membranes for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) were investigated. Porous TiO2 powders were synthesized using the sol-gel method; with Nafion/TiO2 nanocomposite membranes prepared using the casting method. An X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that the synthesized TiO2 had an anatase structure. The specific surface areas of the TiO2 and Nafion/TiO2 nanocomposite membrane were found to be 115.97 and 33.91 m2/g using a nitrogen adsorption analyzer. The energy dispersive spectra analysis indicated that the TiO2 particles were uniformly distributed in the nanocomposite membrane. The membrane electrode assembly prepared from the Nafion/TiO2 nanocomposite membrane gave the best PEMFC performance compared to the Nafion/P-25 and Nafion membranes.

Ion exchange and luminescence of Eu3+ in Nafion membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petushkov, A.A.; Shilov, S.M.; Pak, V.N.

2006-01-01

Dehydration of Nafion perfluorosulphonic membranes at 110 deg C results in a significant reduction of their void space volume, the accessibility of sulphonic groups and the total exchange capacity towards Eu 3+ cations. Nevertheless, the ion exchange sorption of Eu 3+ takes place in accordance with stoichiometric ratio [-SO 3 H]/[Eu 3+ ]=3. The membranes thermal pretreatment also affects noticeably the spectroscopic features of the fastened Eu 3+ ions, such as the relationship between the intensities of the hypersensitive 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 and magnetic dipolar 5 D 0 → 7 F 1 transitions, the excited state life time, as well as the luminescence quenching in the course of water adsorption

Production and application of cation/anion exchange membranes of high performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Zhili; Tan Chunhong; Yang Xiangmin

1995-01-01

A third affiliated factory of our university has been established for the production in batches of cation/anion exchange membranes of high performance, trade marks of which are HF-1 and HF-2. Membrane products have been applied in various fields (including industries and research institutions) with great success

Composite polymer membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells operating at elevated temperatures and reduced humidities

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tao

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are the leading candidate in the fuel cell technology due to the high power density, solid electrolyte, and low operational temperature. However, PEMFCs operating in the normal temperature range (60-80°C) face problems including poor carbon monoxide tolerance and heat rejection. The poisoning effect can be significantly relieved by operating the fuel cell at elevated temperature, which also improves the heat rejection and electrochemical kinetics. Low relative humidity (RH) operation is also desirable to simplify the reactant humidification system. However, at elevated temperatures, reduced RH PEMFC performance is seriously impaired due to irreversible water loss from presently employed state-of-the-art polymer membrane, Nafion. This thesis focuses on developing polymer electrolyte membranes with high water retention ability for operation in elevated temperature (110-150°C), reduced humidity (˜50%RH) PEMFCs. One approach is to alter Nafion by adding inorganic particles such as TiO2, SiO2, Zr(HPO 4)2, etc. While the presence of these materials in Nafion has proven beneficial, a reduction or no improvement in the PEMFC performance of Nafion/TiO2 and Nafion/Zr(HPO4)2 membranes is observed with reduced particle sizes or increased particle loadings in Nafion. It is concluded that the PEMFC performance enhancement associated with addition of these inorganic particles was not due to the particle hydrophilicity. Rather, the particle, partially located in the hydrophobic region of the membrane, benefits the cell performance by altering the membrane structure. Water transport properties of some Nafion composite membranes were investigated by NMR methods including pulsed field gradient spin echo diffusion, spin-lattice relaxation, and spectral measurements. Compared to unmodified Nafion, composite membranes materials exhibit longer longitudinal relaxation time constant T1. In addition to the Nafion material, sulfonated styrene

Ultrathin Sicopion Composite Cation-Exchange Membranes: Characteristics and Electrodialytic Performance following a Conditioning Procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Ayala-Bribiesca

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to investigate the properties of Sicopion membranes: an ultrathin (≈20 μm composite cation-exchange membrane (CEM made from sulphonated poly(ether-ether-ketone (SPEEK containing different levels of sulphonic-functionalized silica particles (SFSPs. Sicopion membranes were conditioned according to the French Normalization Association procedure, consisting in a series of acid and alkaline washes, and their electrodialytic characteristics were compared to an existent commercial food-grade membrane (CMX-SB. Electrical conductivity of Sicopion membranes was higher than that of CMX-SB membranes (9.92 versus 6.98 mS/cm, as well as their water content (34.0 versus 27.6%. As the SFSP level was reduced, the ion-exchange capacity (IEC of Sicopion membranes increased. Concerning their electrodialytic performances, Sicopion membranes presented a lower demineralization rate than CMX-SB membranes (35.9 versus 45.5%, due to an OH− leakage through the pores created by dislodging the SFSP particles during the conditioning procedure.

Stimulated-healing of proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalyst

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Latsuzbaia, R.; Negro, E.; Koper, G.J.M.

2013-01-01

Platinum nanoparticles, which are used as catalysts in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), tend to degrade after long-term operation. We discriminate the following mechanisms of the degradation: poisoning, migration and coalescence, dissolution, and electrochemical Ostwald ripening. There

Proton Conductive Channel Optimization in Methanol Resistive Hybrid Hyperbranched Polyamide Proton Exchange Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liying Ma

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Based on a previously developed polyamide proton conductive macromolecule, the nano-scale structure of the self-assembled proton conductive channels (PCCs is adjusted via enlarging the nano-scale pore size within the macromolecules. Hyperbranched polyamide macromolecules with different size are synthesized from different monomers to tune the nano-scale pore size within the macromolecules, and a series of hybrid membranes are prepared from these two micromoles to optimize the PCC structure in the proton exchange membrane. The optimized membrane exhibits methanol permeability low to 2.2 × 10−7 cm2/s, while the proton conductivity of the hybrid membrane can reach 0.25 S/cm at 80 °C, which was much higher than the value of the Nafion 117 membrane (0.192 S/cm. By considering the mechanical, dimensional, and the thermal properties, the hybrid hyperbranched polyamide proton exchange membrane (PEM exhibits promising application potential in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC.

Performance Evaluations of Ion Exchanged Zeolite Membranes on Alumina Supports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhave, Ramesh R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Jubin, Robert Thomas [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Spencer, Barry B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Nair, Sankar [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2017-08-27

This report describes the synthesis and evaluation of molecular sieve zeolite membranes to separate and concentrate tritiated water (HTO) from dilute HTO-bearing aqueous streams. In the first phase of this effort, several monovalent and divalent cation-exchanged silico alumino phosphate (SAPO-34) molecular sieve zeolite membranes were synthesized on disk supports and characterized with gas and vapor permeation measurements. In the second phase, Linde Type A (LTA) zeolite membranes were synthesized in disk and tubular supports. The pervaporation process performance was evaluated for the separation and concentration of tritiated water.

Patterned ion exchange membranes for improved power production in microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells

KAUST Repository

Liu, Jia

2014-12-01

Power production in microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells (MRCs) can be limited by the internal resistance of the reverse electrodialysis stack. Typical MRC stacks use non-conductive spacers that block ion transport by the so-called spacer shadow effect. These spacers can be relatively thick compared to the membrane, and thus they increase internal stack resistance due to high solution (ohmic) resistance associated with a thick spacer. New types of patterned anion and cation exchange membranes were developed by casting membranes to create hemispherical protrusions on the membranes, enabling fluid flow between the membranes without the need for a non-conductive spacer. The use of the patterned membrane decreased the MRC stack resistance by ∼22 Ω, resulting in a 38% increase in power density from 2.50 ± 0.04 W m-2 (non-patterned membrane with a non-conductive spacer) to 3.44 ± 0.02 W m-2 (patterned membrane). The COD removal rate, coulombic efficiency, and energy efficiency of the MRC also increased using the patterned membranes compared to the non-patterned membranes. These results demonstrate that these patterned ion exchange membranes can be used to improve performance of an MRC. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Imidazolium-Based Polymeric Materials as Alkaline Anion-Exchange Fuel Cell Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Narayan, Sri R.; Yen, Shiao-Ping S.; Reddy, Prakash V.; Nair, Nanditha

2012-01-01

Polymer electrolyte membranes that conduct hydroxide ions have potential use in fuel cells. A variety of polystyrene-based quaternary ammonium hydroxides have been reported as anion exchange fuel cell membranes. However, the hydrolytic stability and conductivity of the commercially available membranes are not adequate to meet the requirements of fuel cell applications. When compared with commercially available membranes, polystyrene-imidazolium alkaline membrane electrolytes are more stable and more highly conducting. At the time of this reporting, this has been the first such usage for imidazolium-based polymeric materials for fuel cells. Imidazolium salts are known to be electrochemically stable over wide potential ranges. By controlling the relative ratio of imidazolium groups in polystyrene-imidazolium salts, their physiochemical properties could be modulated. Alkaline anion exchange membranes based on polystyrene-imidazolium hydroxide materials have been developed. The first step was to synthesize the poly(styrene-co-(1-((4-vinyl)methyl)-3- methylimidazolium) chloride through a free-radical polymerization. Casting of this material followed by in situ treatment of the membranes with sodium hydroxide solutions provided the corresponding hydroxide salts. Various ratios of the monomers 4-chloromoethylvinylbenzine (CMVB) and vinylbenzine (VB) provided various compositions of the polymer. The preferred material, due to the relative ease of casting the film, and its relatively low hygroscopic nature, was a 2:1 ratio of CMVB to VB. Testing confirmed that at room temperature, the new membranes outperformed commercially available membranes by a large margin. With fuel cells now in use at NASA and in transportation, and with defense potential, any improvement to fuel cell efficiency is a significant development.

Two-dimensional analytical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jia Xing; Guo, Hang; Ye, Fang; Ma, Chong Fang

2017-01-01

In this study, a two-dimensional full cell analytical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is developed. The analytical model describes electrochemical reactions on the anode and cathode catalyst layer, reactants diffusion in the gas diffusion layer, and gases flow in the gas channel, etc. The analytical solution is derived according to the basic physical equations. The performance predicted by the model is in good agreement with the experimental data. The results show that the polarization mainly occurs in the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The anodic overpotential cannot be neglected. The hydrogen and oxygen concentrations decrease along the channel flow direction. The hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in the catalyst layer decrease with the current density. As predicted by the model, concentration polarization mainly occurs in the cathode side. - Highlights: • A 2D full cell analytical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is developed. • The analytical solution is deduced according to the basic equations. • The anode overpotential is not so small that it cannot be neglected. • Species concentration distributions in the fuel cell is obtained and analyzed.

Modeling and simulation of anion-exchange membrane chromatography for purification of Sf9 insect cell-derived virus-like particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladd Effio, Christopher; Hahn, Tobias; Seiler, Julia; Oelmeier, Stefan A; Asen, Iris; Silberer, Christine; Villain, Louis; Hubbuch, Jürgen

2016-01-15

Recombinant protein-based virus-like particles (VLPs) are steadily gaining in importance as innovative vaccines against cancer and infectious diseases. Multiple VLPs are currently evaluated in clinical phases requiring a straightforward and rational process design. To date, there is no generic platform process available for the purification of VLPs. In order to accelerate and simplify VLP downstream processing, there is a demand for novel development approaches, technologies, and purification tools. Membrane adsorbers have been identified as promising stationary phases for the processing of bionanoparticles due to their large pore sizes. In this work, we present the potential of two strategies for designing VLP processes following the basic tenet of 'quality by design': High-throughput experimentation and process modeling of an anion-exchange membrane capture step. Automated membrane screenings allowed the identification of optimal VLP binding conditions yielding a dynamic binding capacity of 5.7 mg/mL for human B19 parvovirus-like particles derived from Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 insect cells. A mechanistic approach was implemented for radial ion-exchange membrane chromatography using the lumped-rate model and stoichiometric displacement model for the in silico optimization of a VLP capture step. For the first time, process modeling enabled the in silico design of a selective, robust and scalable process with minimal experimental effort for a complex VLP feedstock. The optimized anion-exchange membrane chromatography process resulted in a protein purity of 81.5%, a DNA clearance of 99.2%, and a VLP recovery of 59%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facilitated transport in hydroxide-exchange membranes for post-combustion CO2 separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Laj; Gu, Shuang; Jensen, Kurt O; Yan, Yushan S

2014-01-01

Hydroxide-exchange membranes are developed for facilitated transport CO2 in post-combustion flue-gas feed. First, a correlation between the basicity of fixed-site functional groups and CO2 -separation performance is discovered. This relationship is used to identify phosphonium as a promising candidate to achieve high CO2 -separation performance. Consequently, quaternary phosphonium-based hydroxide-exchange membranes are demonstrated to have a separation performance that is above the Robeson upper bound. Specifically, a CO2 permeability as high as 1090 Barrer and a CO2 /N2 selectivity as high as 275 is achieved. The high performance observed in the membranes can be attributed to the quaternary phosphonium moiety. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry of Functional Membrane-bound Chemotaxis Receptor Complexes

Science.gov (United States)

Koshy, Seena S.; Eyles, Stephen J.; Weis, Robert M.; Thompson, Lynmarie K.

2014-01-01

The transmembrane signaling mechanism of bacterial chemotaxis receptors is thought to involve changes in receptor conformation and dynamics. The receptors function in ternary complexes with two other proteins, CheA and CheW, that form extended membrane-bound arrays. Previous studies have shown that attractant binding induces a small (~2 Å) piston displacement of one helix of the periplasmic and transmembrane domains towards the cytoplasm, but it is not clear how this signal propagates through the cytoplasmic domain to control the kinase activity of the CheA bound at the membrane-distal tip, nearly 200 Å away. The cytoplasmic domain has been shown to be highly dynamic, which raises the question of how a small piston motion could propagate through a dynamic domain to control CheA kinase activity. To address this, we have developed a method for measuring dynamics of the receptor cytoplasmic fragment (CF) in functional complexes with CheA and CheW. Hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) measurements of global exchange of CF demonstrate that CF exhibits significantly slower exchange in functional complexes than in solution. Since the exchange rates in functional complexes are comparable to that of other proteins of similar structure, the CF appears to be a well-structured protein within these complexes, which is compatible with its role in propagating a signal that appears to be a tiny conformational change in the periplasmic and transmembrane domains of the receptor. We also demonstrate the feasibility of this protocol for local exchange measurements, by incorporating a pepsin digest step to produce peptides with 87% sequence coverage and only 20% back exchange. This method extends HDX-MS to membrane-bound functional complexes without detergents that may perturb the stability or structure of the system. PMID:24274333

The status of membrane bioreactor technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Judd, Simon

2008-02-01

In this article, the current status of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for wastewater treatment is reviewed. Fundamental facets of the MBR process and membrane and process configurations are outlined and the advantages and disadvantages over conventional suspended growth-based biotreatment are briefly identified. Key process design and operating parameters are defined and their significance explained. The inter-relationships between these parameters are identified and their implications discussed, with particular reference to impacts on membrane surface fouling and channel clogging. In addition, current understanding of membrane surface fouling and identification of candidate foulants is appraised. Although much interest in this technology exists and its penetration of the market will probably increase significantly, there remains a lack of understanding of key process constraints such as membrane channel clogging, and of the science of membrane cleaning.

Uncertainties of Gaseous Oxidized Mercury Measurements Using KCl-Coated Denuders, Cation-Exchange Membranes, and Nylon Membranes: Humidity Influences.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiaoyan; Gustin, Mae Sexauer

2015-05-19

Quantifying the concentration of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and identifying the chemical compounds in the atmosphere are important for developing accurate local, regional, and global biogeochemical cycles. The major hypothesis driving this work was that relative humidity affects collection of GOM on KCl-coated denuders and nylon membranes, both currently being applied to measure GOM. Using a laboratory manifold system and ambient air, GOM capture efficiency on 3 different collection surfaces, including KCl-coated denuders, nylon membranes, and cation-exchange membranes, was investigated at relative humidity ranging from 25 to 75%. Recovery of permeated HgBr2 on KCl-coated denuders declined by 4-60% during spikes of relative humidity (25 to 75%). When spikes were turned off GOM recoveries returned to 60 ± 19% of permeated levels. In some cases, KCl-coated denuders were gradually passivated over time after additional humidity was applied. In this study, GOM recovery on nylon membranes decreased with high humidity and ozone concentrations. However, additional humidity enhanced GOM recovery on cation-exchange membranes. In addition, reduction and oxidation of elemental mercury during experiments was observed. The findings in this study can help to explain field observations in previous studies.

Probing water structure and transport in proton exchange membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ling, X.

2018-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted tremendous attention as alternative energy sources because of their high energy density and practically zero greenhouse gas emission - water is their only direct by-product. Critical to the function of PEMFCs is fast proton and water

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells modeling

CERN Document Server

Gao, Fengge; Miraoui, Abdellatif

2013-01-01

The fuel cell is a potential candidate for energy storage and conversion in our future energy mix. It is able to directly convert the chemical energy stored in fuel (e.g. hydrogen) into electricity, without undergoing different intermediary conversion steps. In the field of mobile and stationary applications, it is considered to be one of the future energy solutions.Among the different fuel cell types, the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell has shown great potential in mobile applications, due to its low operating temperature, solid-state electrolyte and compactness.This book pre

Silver-coated ion exchange membrane electrode applied to electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hori, Y.; Ito, H.; Okano, K.; Nagasu, K.; Sato, S.

2003-01-01

Silver-coated ion exchange membrane electrodes (solid polymer electrolyte, SPE) were prepared by electroless deposition of silver onto ion exchange membranes. The SPE electrodes were used for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction with 0.2 M K 2 SO 4 as the electrolyte with a platinum plate (Pt) for the counterelectrode. In an SPE electrode system prepared from a cation exchange membrane (CEM), the surface of the SPE was partly ruptured during CO 2 reduction, and the reaction was rapidly suppressed. SPE electrodes made of an anion exchange membrane (SPE/AEM) sustained reduction of CO 2 to CO for more than 2 h, whereas, the electrode potential shifted negatively during the electrolysis. The reaction is controlled by the diffusion of CO 2 through the metal layer of the SPE electrode at high current density. Ultrasonic radiation, applied to the preparation of SPE/AEM, was effective to improve the electrode properties, enhancing the electrolysis current of CO 2 reduction. Observation by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the electrode metal layer became more porous by the ultrasonic radiation treatment. The partial current density of CO 2 reduction by SPE/AEM amounted to 60 mA cm -2 , i.e. three times the upper limit of the conventional electrolysis by a plate electrode. Application of SPE device may contribute to an advancement of CO 2 fixation at ambient temperature and pressure

Application of membrane technologies for liquid radioactive waste processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Membrane separation processes have made impressive progress since the first synthesis of membranes almost 40 years ago. This progress was driven by strong technological needs and commercial expectations. As a result the range of successful applications of membranes and membrane processes is continuously broadening. In addition, increasing application of membrane processes and technologies lies in the increasing variations of the nature and characteristics of commercial membranes and membrane apparatus. The objective of the report is to review the information on application of membrane technologies in the processing of liquid radioactive waste. The report covers the various types of membranes, equipment design, range of applications, operational experience and the performance characteristics of different membrane processes. The report aims to provide Member States with basic information on the applicability and limitations of membrane separation technologies for processing liquid radioactive waste streams

An artificial neural network ensemble method for fault diagnosis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, Meng; Zhu, Xin-Jian; Cao, Hong-Fei; Shen, Hai-Feng

2014-01-01

The commercial viability of PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) systems depends on using effective fault diagnosis technologies in PEMFC systems. However, many researchers have experimentally studied PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) systems without considering certain fault conditions. In this paper, an ANN (artificial neural network) ensemble method is presented that improves the stability and reliability of the PEMFC systems. In the first part, a transient model giving it flexibility in application to some exceptional conditions is built. The PEMFC dynamic model is built and simulated using MATLAB. In the second, using this model and experiments, the mechanisms of four different faults in PEMFC systems are analyzed in detail. Third, the ANN ensemble for the fault diagnosis is built and modeled. This model is trained and tested by the data. The test result shows that, compared with the previous method for fault diagnosis of PEMFC systems, the proposed fault diagnosis method has higher diagnostic rate and generalization ability. Moreover, the partial structure of this method can be altered easily, along with the change of the PEMFC systems. In general, this method for diagnosis of PEMFC has value for certain applications. - Highlights: • We analyze the principles and mechanisms of the four faults in PEMFC (proton exchange membrane fuel cell) system. • We design and model an ANN (artificial neural network) ensemble method for the fault diagnosis of PEMFC system. • This method has high diagnostic rate and strong generalization ability

Nano-Pervaporation Membrane with Heat Exchanger Generates Medical-Grade Water

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Chung-Yi; Alexander, Jerry

2009-01-01

A nanoporous membrane is used for the pervaporation process in which potable water is maintained, at atmospheric pressure, on the feed side of the membrane. The water enters the non-pervaporation (NPV) membrane device where it is separated into two streams -- retentate water and permeated water. The permeated pure water is removed by applying low vapor pressure on the permeate side to create water vapor before condensation. This permeated water vapor is subsequently condensed by coming in contact with the cool surface of a heat exchanger with heat being recovered through transfer to the feed water stream.

Determination of the ion-exchange capacity of anion-selective membranes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Karas, F.; Hnát, J.; Paidar, M.; Schauer, Jan; Bouzek, K.

2014-01-01

Roč. 39, č. 10 (2014), s. 5054-5062 ISSN 0360-3199 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : ion-exchange capacity * anion-selective membranes * titration Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 3.313, year: 2014

Synthesis and characterisation of alkaline anionic-exchange membranes for direct alcohol fuel cells

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Nonjola, P

2007-12-01

Full Text Available , but the most important being proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), which uses an acidic membrane like Nafion (sulfonated fluorocarbon polymers) as an electrolyte. The use of polymer electrolytes represents an interesting path to pursue...

Nafion®/ODF-silica composite membranes for medium temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Treekamol, Yaowapa

2014-01-01

A series of composite membranes were prepared by dispersing fluorinated polyoxadiazole oligomer (ODF)-functionalized silica nanoparticles in a Nafion matrix. Both melt-extrusion and solvent casting processes were explored. Ion exchange capacity, conductivity, water uptake and dimensional stability, thermal stability and morphology were characterized. The inclusion of functionalized nanoparticles proved advantageous, mainly due to a physical crosslinking effect and better water retention, with functionalized nanoparticles performing better than the pristine silica particles. For the same filler loading, better nanoparticle dispersion was achieved for solvent-cast membranes, resulting in higher proton conductivity. Filler agglomeration, however,was more severe for solvent-castmembranes at loadings beyond 5wt.%. The composite membranes showed excellent thermal stability, allowing for operation in medium temperature PEM fuel cells. Fuel cell performance of the compositemembranesdecreaseswithdecreasing relativehumidity, but goodperformance values are still obtained at 34% RHand 90 °C,with the best results obtained for solvent castmembranes loaded with 10 wt.% ODF-functionalized silica. Hydrogen crossover of the composite membranes is higher than that forpureNafion membranes,possiblydue toporosityresulting fromsuboptimalparticle- matrixcompatibility. © 2013 Crown Copyright and Elsevier BV. All rights reserved.

Composite proton exchange membrane based on sulfonated organic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Pitia, Emmanuel Sokiri

As the world sets its sight into the future, energy remains a great challenge. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell is part of the solution to the energy challenge because of its high efficiency and diverse application. The purpose of the PEM is to provide a path for proton transport and to prevent direct mixing of hydrogen and oxygen at the anode and the cathode, respectively. Hence, PEMs must have good proton conductivity, excellent chemical stability, and mechanical durability. The current state-of-the-art PEM is a perfluorosulfonate ionomer, Nafion®. Although Nafion® has many desirable properties, it has high methanol crossover and it is expensive. The objective of this research was to develop a cost effective two-phase, composite PEM wherein a dispersed conductive organic phase preferentially aligned in the transport direction controls proton transport, and a continuous hydrophobic phase provides mechanical durability to the PEM. The hypothesis that was driving this research was that one might expect better dispersion, higher surface to volume ratio and improved proton conductivity of a composite membrane if the dispersed particles were nanometer in size and had high ion exchange capacity (IEC, = [mmol sulfonic acid]/gram of polymer). In view of this, considerable efforts were employed in the synthesis of high IEC organic nanoparticles and fabrication of a composite membrane with controlled microstructure. High IEC, ~ 4.5 meq/g (in acid form, theoretical limit is 5.4 meq/g) nanoparticles were achieved by emulsion copolymerization of a quaternary alkyl ammonium (QAA) neutralized-sulfonated styrene (QAA-SS), styrene, and divinylbenzene (DVB). The effects of varying the counterion of the sulfonated styrene (SS) monomer (alkali metal and QAA cations), SS concentration, and the addition of a crosslinking agent (DVB) on the ability to stabilize the nanoparticles to higher IECs were assessed. The nanoparticles were ion exchanged to acid form. The extent of ion

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for electrical power generation on-board commercial airplanes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, Joseph W.; Klebanoff, Leonard E.; Munoz-Ramos, Karina; Akhil, Abbas A.; Curgus, Dita B.; Schenkman, Benjamin L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We examine proton exchange membrane fuel cells on-board commercial airplanes. ► We model the added fuel cell system’s effect on overall airplane performance. ► It is feasible to implement an on-board fuel cell system with current technology. ► Systems that maximize waste heat recovery are the best performing. ► Current PEM and H 2 storage technology results in an airplane performance penalty. -- Abstract: Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they could offer a performance advantage for the airplane when using today’s off-the-shelf technology. We also examine the effects of the fuel cell system on airplane performance with (1) different electrical loads, (2) different locations on the airplane, and (3) expected advances in fuel cell and hydrogen storage technologies. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic simulation, we found that an additional fuel cell system on a commercial airplane is technically feasible using current technology. Although applied to a Boeing 787-type airplane, the method presented is applicable to other airframes as well. Recovery and on-board use of the heat and water that is generated by the fuel cell is an important method to increase the benefit of such a system. The best performance is achieved when the fuel cell is coupled to a load that utilizes the full output of the fuel cell for the entire flight. The effects of location are small and location may be better determined by other considerations such as safety and modularity. Although the PEM fuel cell generates power more efficiently than the gas turbine generators currently used, when considering the effect of the fuel cell system on the airplane’s overall performance we found that an overall

Effect of Divalent Cations on RED Performance and Cation Exchange Membrane Selection to Enhance Power Densities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rijnaarts, Timon; Huerta, Elisa; van Baak, Willem; Nijmeijer, Kitty

2017-11-07

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a membrane-based renewable energy technology that can harvest energy from salinity gradients. The anticipated feed streams are natural river and seawater, both of which contain not only monovalent ions but also divalent ions. However, RED using feed streams containing divalent ions experiences lower power densities because of both uphill transport and increased membrane resistance. In this study, we investigate the effects of divalent cations (Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ) on RED and demonstrate the mitigation of those effects using both novel and existing commercial cation exchange membranes (CEMs). Monovalent-selective Neosepta CMS is known to block divalent cations transport and can therefore mitigate reductions in stack voltage. The new multivalent-permeable Fuji T1 is able to transport divalent cations without a major increase in resistance. Both strategies significantly improve power densities compared to standard-grade CEMs when performing RED using streams containing divalent cations.

Novel membranes for proton exchange membrane fuel cell operation above 120°C. Final report for period October 1, 1998 to December 31, 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srinivasan, Supramaniam [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Lee, Seung-Jae [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Costamagna, Paola [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Yang, Christopher [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Adjemian, Kevork [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Bocarsly, Andrew [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Ogden, Joan M. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Benziger, Jay [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

2000-05-01

In this project we investigated the experimental performance of three new classes of membranes, composites of perfluorosulfonic acid polymers with heteropolyacides, hydrated oxides and fast proton conducting glasses, which are promising candidates as electrolytes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), capable of operation at temperatures above 120°C. The motivations for PEMFC's operation at this temperature are to: 1) minimize the CO poisoning problem (adsorption of CO onto the platinum catalyst is greatly reduced at these temperatures), 2) find better solutions for the water and thermal management problems in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, 3) find potentially lower cost materials for proton exchange membranes. We prepared and characterized a variety of novel membrane materials. The most promising of these have been evaluated for performance in a single, small area (5cm²) fuel cell run on hydrogen and oxygen. Our results establish the technical feasibility of PEMFC operation above 120°C.

Analysis performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

Science.gov (United States)

Mubin, A. N. A.; Bahrom, M. H.; Azri, M.; Ibrahim, Z.; Rahim, N. A.; Raihan, S. R. S.

2017-06-01

Recently, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has gained much attention to the technology of renewable energy due to its mechanically ideal and zero emission power source. PEMFC performance reflects from the surroundings such as temperature and pressure. This paper presents an analysis of the performance of the PEMFC by developing the mathematical thermodynamic modelling using Matlab/Simulink. Apart from that, the differential equation of the thermodynamic model of the PEMFC is used to explain the contribution of heat to the performance of the output voltage of the PEMFC. On the other hand, the partial pressure equation of the hydrogen is included in the PEMFC mathematical modeling to study the PEMFC voltage behaviour related to the input variable input hydrogen pressure. The efficiency of the model is 33.8% which calculated by applying the energy conversion device equations on the thermal efficiency. PEMFC’s voltage output performance is increased by increasing the hydrogen input pressure and temperature.

Proton exchange membrane materials for the advancement of direct methanol fuel-cell technology

Science.gov (United States)

Cornelius, Christopher J [Albuquerque, NM

2006-04-04

A new class of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, and methods of synthesis, that can be used as a proton exchange membrane in a direct methanol fuel cell. In contrast with Nafion.RTM. PEM materials, which have random sulfonation, the new class of materials have ordered sulfonation achieved through self-assembly of alternating polyimide segments of different molecular weights comprising, for example, highly sulfonated hydrophilic PDA-DASA polyimide segment alternating with an unsulfonated hydrophobic 6FDA-DAS polyimide segment. An inorganic phase, e.g., 0.5 5 wt % TEOS, can be incorporated in the sulfonated polyimide copolymer to further improve its properties. The new materials exhibit reduced swelling when exposed to water, increased thermal stability, and decreased O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 gas permeability, while retaining proton conductivities similar to Nafion.RTM.. These improved properties may allow direct methanol fuel cells to operate at higher temperatures and with higher efficiencies due to reduced methanol crossover.

Steel reinforced composite silicone membranes and its integration to microfluidic oxygenators for high performance gas exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Matharoo, Harpreet; Dabaghi, Mohammadhossein; Rochow, Niels; Fusch, Gerhard; Saraei, Neda; Tauhiduzzaman, Mohammed; Veldhuis, Stephen; Brash, John; Fusch, Christoph; Selvaganapathy, P Ravi

2018-01-01

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is one of the main causes of fatality in newborn infants, particularly in neonates with low birth-weight. Commercial extracorporeal oxygenators have been used for low-birth-weight neonates in neonatal intensive care units. However, these oxygenators require high blood volumes to prime. In the last decade, microfluidics oxygenators using enriched oxygen have been developed for this purpose. Some of these oxygenators use thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes to facilitate gas exchange between the blood flowing in the microchannels and the ambient air outside. However, PDMS is elastic and the thin membranes exhibit significant deformation and delamination under pressure which alters the architecture of the devices causing poor oxygenation or device failure. Therefore, an alternate membrane with high stability, low deformation under pressure, and high gas exchange was desired. In this paper, we present a novel composite membrane consisting of an ultra-thin stainless-steel mesh embedded in PDMS, designed specifically for a microfluidic single oxygenator unit (SOU). In comparison to homogeneous PDMS membranes, this composite membrane demonstrated high stability, low deformation under pressure, and high gas exchange. In addition, a new design for oxygenator with sloping profile and tapered inlet configuration has been introduced to achieve the same gas exchange at lower pressure drops. SOUs were tested by bovine blood to evaluate gas exchange properties. Among all tested SOUs, the flat design SOU with composite membrane has the highest oxygen exchange of 40.32 ml/min m 2 . The superior performance of the new device with composite membrane was demonstrated by constructing a lung assist device (LAD) with a low priming volume of 10 ml. The LAD was achieved by the oxygen uptake of 0.48-0.90 ml/min and the CO 2 release of 1.05-2.27 ml/min at blood flow rates ranging between 8 and 48 ml/min. This LAD was shown to increase the

Membrane-Based Technologies in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Continuous Production of Polymer-Coated Crystals/Particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dengyue; Sirkar, Kamalesh K; Jin, Chi; Singh, Dhananjay; Pfeffer, Robert

2017-01-01

Membrane technologies are of increasing importance in a variety of separation and purification applications involving liquid phases and gaseous mixtures. Although the most widely used applications at this time are in water treatment including desalination, there are many applications in chemical, food, healthcare, paper and petrochemical industries. This brief review is concerned with existing and emerging applications of various membrane technologies in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry. The goal of this review article is to identify important membrane processes and techniques which are being used or proposed to be used in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical operations. How novel membrane processes can be useful for delivery of crystalline/particulate drugs is also of interest. Membrane separation technologies are extensively used in downstream processes for bio-pharmaceutical separation and purification operations via microfiltration, ultrafiltration and diafiltration. Also the new technique of membrane chromatography allows efficient purification of monoclonal antibodies. Membrane filtration techniques of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration are being combined with bioreactors and advanced oxidation processes to treat wastewaters from pharmaceutical plants. Nanofiltration with organic solvent-stable membranes can implement solvent exchange and catalyst recovery during organic solvent-based drug synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds/intermediates. Membranes in the form of hollow fibers can be conveniently used to implement crystallization of pharmaceutical compounds. The novel crystallization methods of solid hollow fiber cooling crystallizer (SHFCC) and porous hollow fiber anti-solvent crystallization (PHFAC) are being developed to provide efficient methods for continuous production of polymer-coated drug crystals in the area of drug delivery. This brief review provides a general introduction to various applications of membrane technologies in

An investigation into the efficiency of ion-exchange membranes in simulated PWR coolants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clune, T.

1980-11-01

This report describes an investigation of the retention efficiency of cation-exchange membranes for magnesium, calcium and nickel ions in PWR-coolant type solutions containing 2 ppm lithium (as lithium hydroxide) and 1000 ppm boron (as boric acid). By analysis of the membranes themselves or of the effluent, the retention characteristics of the membranes in various experimental conditions have been examined. (author)

Junction Potentials Bias Measurements of Ion Exchange Membrane Permselectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsbury, Ryan S; Flotron, Sophie; Zhu, Shan; Call, Douglas F; Coronell, Orlando

2018-04-17

Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are versatile materials relevant to a variety of water and waste treatment, energy production, and industrial separation processes. The defining characteristic of IEMs is their ability to selectively allow positive or negative ions to permeate, which is referred to as permselectivity. Measured values of permselectivity that equal unity (corresponding to a perfectly selective membrane) or exceed unity (theoretically impossible) have been reported for cation exchange membranes (CEMs). Such nonphysical results call into question our ability to correctly measure this crucial membrane property. Because weighing errors, temperature, and measurement uncertainty have been shown to not explain these anomalous permselectivity results, we hypothesized that a possible explanation are junction potentials that occur at the tips of reference electrodes. In this work, we tested this hypothesis by comparing permselectivity values obtained from bare Ag/AgCl wire electrodes (which have no junction) to values obtained from single-junction reference electrodes containing two different electrolytes. We show that permselectivity values obtained using reference electrodes with junctions were greater than unity for CEMs. In contrast, electrodes without junctions always produced permselectivities lower than unity. Electrodes with junctions also resulted in artificially low permselectivity values for AEMs compared to electrodes without junctions. Thus, we conclude that junctions in reference electrodes introduce two biases into results in the IEM literature: (i) permselectivity values larger than unity for CEMs and (ii) lower permselectivity values for AEMs compared to those for CEMs. These biases can be avoided by using electrodes without a junction.

A practical method for measuring the ion exchange capacity decrease of hydroxide exchange membranes during intrinsic degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Kreuer, Klaus-Dieter; Jannasch, Patric

2018-01-01

In this work we present a practical thermogravimetric method for quantifying the IEC (ion exchange capacity) decrease of hydroxide exchange membranes (HEMs) during intrinsic degradation mainly occurring through nucleophilic attack of the anion exchanging group by hydroxide ions. The method involves measuring weight changes under controlled temperature and relative humidity. These conditions are close to these in a fuel cell, i.e. the measured degradation rate includes all effects originating from the polymeric structure, the consumption of hydroxide ions and the release of water. In particular, this approach involves no added solvents or base, thereby avoiding inaccuracies that may arise in other methods due to the presence of solvents (other than water) or co-ions (such as Na+ or K+). We demonstrate the method by characterizing the decomposition of membranes consisting of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) functionalized with trimethyl-pentyl-ammonium side chains. The decomposition rate is found to depend on temperature, relative humidity RH (controlling the hydration number λ) and the total water content (controlled by the actual IEC and RH).

Double cross-linked polyetheretherketone proton exchange membrane for fuel cell

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2012-04-01

Full Text Available and separating the fuel from oxidant. A polyperfluorosulfonic acid ionomer Nafion? (developed by Dupont) is the mostly used proton exchange membrane in PEMFCs, because of its high proton conductivity and excellent chemical stability [3, 4]. However, the high...-Methyl-2-pyrrolidinone. After the solution was homogenized by stirring, the polymer solution was cast on a glass Petri dish. The solvent was then removed in a vacuum oven at 130 ?C. The membrane was peeled off from the Petri dish. Thereafter...

An Investigation of Proton Conductivity of Vinyltriazole-Grafted PVDF Proton Exchange Membranes Prepared via Photoinduced Grafting

OpenAIRE

Sezgin, Sinan; Sinirlioglu, Deniz; Muftuoglu, Ali Ekrem; Bozkurt, Ayhan

2014-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are considered to be a promising technology for clean and efficient power generation in the twenty-first century. In this study, high performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and proton conductivity of poly(1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole) (PVTri) were combined in a graft copolymer, PVDF-g-PVTri, by the polymerization of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole on a PVDF based matrix under UV light in one step. The polymers were doped with triflic acid (TA) at differe...

Phosphoric acid doped membranes based on Nafion®, PBI and their blends – Membrane preparation, characterization and steam electrolysis testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aili, David; Hansen, Martin Kalmar; Pan, Chao

2011-01-01

Proton exchange membrane steam electrolysis at temperatures above 100 °C has several advantages from thermodynamic, kinetic and engineering points of view. A key material for this technology is the high temperature proton exchange membrane. In this work a novel procedure for preparation of Nafion......® and polybenzimidazole blend membranes was developed. Homogeneous binary membranes covering the whole composition range were prepared and characterized with respect to chemical and physiochemical properties such as water uptake, phosphoric acid doping, oxidative stability, mechanical strength and proton conductivity...

Catalyst Degradation in High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Based on Acid Doped Polybenzimidazole Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cleemann, Lars Nilausen; Buazar, F.; Li, Qingfeng

2013-01-01

and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes were used as supports for electrode catalysts and evaluated in accelerated durability tests under potential cycling at 150 °C. Measurements of open circuit voltage, area specific resistance and hydrogen permeation through the membrane were carried out, indicating little...... contribution of the membrane degradation to the performance losses during the potential cycling tests. As the major mechanism of the fuel cell performance degradation, the electrochemical active area of the cathodic catalysts showed a steady decrease in the cyclic voltammetric measurements, which was also......Degradation of carbon supported platinum catalysts is a major failure mode for the long term durability of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells based on phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole membranes. With Vulcan carbon black as a reference, thermally treated carbon black...

Ph responsive permeability and Ion- exchange characteristics of (PE/EPDM)-g-PMAA membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El- Awady, M.M.; El-Awady, N.I.; Eissa, A.M.

2005-01-01

Chemical grafting of methacrylic acid (MAA) on low density exchange membranes for recovery of different cations from their solutions was investigated. When the dialysis permeability of two solutes (glucose + urea) through the membrane were tested at different ph values and compared, glucose was found to be less efficient than urea for permeation through the membrane. The permeability response of such solute was noticed only at higher ph value (ph 8). The grafted film (membrane) with graft yield of 185% is experimentally adequate to permeate all molecules with radius of lower than 4.3 x 10 polyethylene blended with EPDM with a ratio (90/10) films was carried out using sodium bisulphite as initiator. Factors affecting grafting and the properties of the grafted films were studied in details and showed improved hydrophilic properties, good thermal stability and nearly unaffected strength properties which make them acceptable for practical uses.In the present work, the possibility of practical uses of such grafted films as ph-responsive membranes in a dialysis process and as ion--7 mm. Grafted membranes in different forms (COOH-form), (Na-methacrylate form) and (K methacrylate- form) were prepared to evaluate the membranes uptake selectivity to different mono, di-and trivalent cations from their solutions. The results obtained showed very good efficiency of the prepared membranes as compared with the values obtained for the commercial cation exchange resin (Dowex)

Anion- or Cation-Exchange Membranes for NaBH₄/H₂O₂ Fuel Cells?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César A. C. Sequeira

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Direct borohydride fuel cells (DBFC, which operate on sodium borohydride (NaBH₄ as the fuel, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂ as the oxidant, are receiving increasing attention. This is due to their promising use as power sources for space and underwater applications, where air is not available and gas storage poses obvious problems. One key factor to improve the performance of DBFCs concerns the type of separator used. Both anion- and cation-exchange membranes may be considered as potential separators for DBFC. In the present paper, the effect of the membrane type on the performance of laboratory NaBH₄/H₂O₂ fuel cells using Pt electrodes is studied at room temperature. Two commercial ion-exchange membranes from Membranes International Inc., an anion-exchange membrane (AMI-7001S and a cation-exchange membrane (CMI-7000S, are tested as ionic separators for the DBFC. The membranes are compared directly by the observation and analysis of the corresponding DBFC’s performance. Cell polarization, power density, stability, and durability tests are used in the membranes’ evaluation. Energy densities and specific capacities are estimated. Most tests conducted, clearly indicate a superior performance of the cation-exchange membranes over the anion-exchange membrane. The two membranes are also compared with several other previously tested commercial membranes. For long term cell operation, these membranes seem to outperform the stability of the benchmark Nafion membranes but further studies are still required to improve their instantaneous power load.

Facile preparation of salt-tolerant anion-exchange membrane adsorber using hydrophobic membrane as substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jinxin; Luo, Jianquan; Chen, Xiangrong; Wan, Yinhua

2017-03-24

In this study, a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hydrophobic membrane with high mechanical property was used as substrate to prepare salt-tolerant anion-exchange (STAE) membrane adsorber. Effective hydrophilization and functionalization of PVDF membrane was realized via polydopamine (PDA) deposition, thus overcoming the drawbacks of hydrophobic substrates including poor water permeability, inert property as well as severe non-specific adsorption. The following polyallylamine (PAH) coupling was carried out at pH 10.0, where unprotonated amine groups on PAH chains were more prone to couple with PDA. This membrane adsorber could remain 75% of protein binding capacity when NaCl concentration increased from 0 to 150mM, while its protein binding capacity was independent of flow rate from 10 to 100 membrane volume (MV)/min due to its high mechanical strength (tensile strength: 43.58±2.30MPa). With 200mM NaCl addition at pH 7.5, high purity (above 99%) and high recovery (almost 100%) of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) were obtained when using the STAE membrane adsorber to separate IgG/human serum albumin (HSA) mixture, being similar to that without NaCl at pH 6.0 (both under the flow rate of 10-100MV/min). Finally, the reliable reusability was confirmed by five reuse cycles of protein binding and elution operations. In comparison with commercial membrane adsorber, the new membrane adsorber exhibited a better mechanical property, higher IgG polishing efficiency and reusability, while the protein binding capacity was lower due to less NH 2 density on the membrane. The outcome of this work not only offers a facile and effective approach to prepare membrane adsorbers based on hydrophobic membranes, but also demonstrates great potential of this new designed STAE membrane adsorbers for efficient monoclonal antibody (mAb) polishing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface modification of cation exchange membranes by graft polymerization of PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemati, Mahsa; Hosseini, Sayed Mohsen; Bagheripour, Ehsan; Madaeni, Sayed Siavash

2016-01-01

Surface modification of polyvinylchloride based heterogeneous cation exchange membrane was performed by graft polymerization of PAA and PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles. The ion exchange membranes were prepared by solution casting technique. Spectra analysis confirmed graft polymerization clearly. SEM images illustrated that graft polymerization covers the membranes by simple gel network entanglement. The membrane water content was decreased by graft polymerization of PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles on membrane surface. Membrane transport number and selectivity declined initially by PAA graft polymerization and then began to increase by utilizing of composite nanoparticles in modifier solution. The sodium and barium flux was improved sharply by PAA and PAAco- 0.01%wt PANI/MWCNTs graft polymerization on membrane surface and then decreased again by more increase of PANI/MWCNTs nanoparticles content ratio in modifier solution. The electrodialysis experiment results in laboratory scale showed higher dialytic rate in heavy metals removal for grafted-PAA and grafted-PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs modified membrane compared to pristine one. Membrane areal electrical resistance was also decreased by introducing graft polymerization of PAA and PAA-co-PANI/MWCNTs NPs on membrane surface.

CAPSTONE SENIOR DESIGN - SUPRAMOLECULAR PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANES FOR FUEL CELLS

Science.gov (United States)

In order to assume a leading role in the burgeoning hydrogen economy, new infrastructure will be required for fuel cell manufacturing and R&D capabilities. The objective of this proposal is the development of a new generation of advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) technol...

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for electrical power generation on-board commercial airplanes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curgus, Dita Brigitte; Munoz-Ramos, Karina (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Pratt, Joseph William; Akhil, Abbas Ali (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Klebanoff, Leonard E.; Schenkman, Benjamin L. (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM)

2011-05-01

Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they offer a performance advantage for the airplane as a whole. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic and electrical simulation, we found that while adding a fuel cell system using today's technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage is technically feasible, it will not likely give the airplane a performance benefit. However, when we re-did the analysis using DOE-target technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage, we found that the fuel cell system would provide a performance benefit to the airplane (i.e., it can save the airplane some fuel), depending on the way it is configured.

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for Electrical Power Generation On-Board Commercial Airplanes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pratt, Joesph W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Klebanoff, Leonard E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Munoz-Ramos, Karina [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Akhil, Abbas A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Curgus, Dita B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schenkman, Benjamin L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2011-05-01

Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they offer a performance advantage for the airplane as a whole. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic and electrical simulation, we found that while adding a fuel cell system using today’s technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage is technically feasible, it will not likely give the airplane a performance benefit. However, when we re-did the analysis using DOE-target technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage, we found that the fuel cell system would provide a performance benefit to the airplane (i.e., it can save the airplane some fuel), depending on the way it is configured.

Improved Electrodes for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells using Carbon Nanospheres.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamora, Héctor; Plaza, Jorge; Cañizares, Pablo; Lobato, Justo; Rodrigo, Manuel A

2016-05-23

This work evaluates the use of carbon nanospheres (CNS) in microporous layers (MPL) of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) electrodes and compares the characteristics and performance with those obtained using conventional MPL based on carbon black. XRD, hydrophobicity, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller theory, and gas permeability of MPL prepared with CNS were the parameters evaluated. In addition, a short life test in a fuel cell was carried out to evaluate performance under accelerated stress conditions. The results demonstrate that CNS is a promising alternative to traditional carbonaceous materials because of its high electrochemical stability and good electrical conductivity, suitable to be used in this technology. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A review of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis on degradation mechanisms and mitigation strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Qi; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Liu, Gaoyang; Wei, Bing; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Hui; Wang, Haijiang

2017-10-01

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is an advanced and effective solution to the primary energy storage technologies. A better understanding of performance and durability of PEMWE is critical for the engineers and researchers to further advance this technology for its market penetration, and for the manufacturers of PEM water electrolyzers to implement quality control procedures for the production line or on-site process monitoring/diagnosis. This paper reviews the published works on performance degradations and mitigation strategies for PEMWE. Sources of degradation for individual components are introduced. With degradation causes discussed and degradation mechanisms examined, the review emphasizes on feasible strategies to mitigate the components degradation. To avoid lengthy real lifetime degradation tests and their high costs, the importance of accelerated stress tests and protocols is highlighted for various components. In the end, R&D directions are proposed to move the PEMWE technology forward to become a key element in future energy scenarios.

Activity targets for nanostructured platinum-group-metal-free catalysts in hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Setzler, Brian P.; Zhuang, Zhongbin; Wittkopf, Jarrid A.; Yan, Yushan

2016-12-01

Fuel cells are the zero-emission automotive power source that best preserves the advantages of gasoline automobiles: low upfront cost, long driving range and fast refuelling. To make fuel-cell cars a reality, the US Department of Energy has set a fuel cell system cost target of US$30 kW-1 in the long-term, which equates to US$2,400 per vehicle, excluding several major powertrain components (in comparison, a basic, but complete, internal combustion engine system costs approximately US$3,000). To date, most research for automotive applications has focused on proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), because these systems have demonstrated the highest power density. Recently, however, an alternative technology, hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells (HEMFCs), has gained significant attention, because of the possibility to use stable platinum-group-metal-free catalysts, with inherent, long-term cost advantages. In this Perspective, we discuss the cost profile of PEMFCs and the advantages offered by HEMFCs. In particular, we discuss catalyst development needs for HEMFCs and set catalyst activity targets to achieve performance parity with state-of-the-art automotive PEMFCs. Meeting these targets requires careful optimization of nanostructures to pack high surface areas into a small volume, while maintaining high area-specific activity and favourable pore-transport properties.

Experimental study on ceramic membrane technology for onboard oxygen generation

OpenAIRE

Jiang Dongsheng; Bu Xueqin; Sun Bing; Lin Guiping; Zhao Hongtao; Cai Yan; Fang Ling

2016-01-01

The ceramic membrane oxygen generation technology has advantages of high concentration of produced oxygen and potential nuclear and biochemical protection capability. The present paper studies the ceramic membrane technology for onboard oxygen generation. Comparisons are made to have knowledge of the effects of two kinds of ceramic membrane separation technologies on oxygen generation, namely electricity driven ceramic membrane separation oxygen generation technology (EDCMSOGT) and pressure d...

The influence of activation of heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes on their electrochemical properties

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brožová, Libuše; Křivčík, J.; Neděla, D.; Kysela, V.; Žitka, Jan

2015-01-01

Roč. 56, č. 12 (2015), s. 3228-3232 ISSN 1944-3994. [International Conference on Membrane and Electromembrane Processes - MELPRO 2014. Prague, 18.05.2014-21.05.2014] Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes * electrochemical properties * activation Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing Impact factor: 1.272, year: 2015

Ion-Exchange Membranes Based on Polynorbornenes with Fluorinated Imide Side Chain Groups

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arlette A. Santiago

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The electrochemical characteristics of cation-exchange membranes based on polynorbornenes with fluorinated and sulfonated dicarboximide side chain groups were reported. This study was extended to a block copolymer containing structural units with phenyl and 4-oxybenzenesulfonic acid, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl moieties replacing the hydrogen atom of the dicarboximide group. A thorough study on the electrochemical characteristics of the membranes involving electromotive forces of concentration cells and proton conductivity is reported. The proton permselectivity of the membranes is also discussed.

Membrane technology applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golomb, A

1990-10-01

Due to a continuing emphasis on increasing the efficiency of utilizing the Province's electrical energy system, a Membrane Testing and Development Facility (MTDF) has been established at Ontario Hydro Research Division. The MTDF comprises bench-scale and pilot-scale reverse osmosis (RO) and ultrafiltration (UF) systems. RO and UF are membrane separation technologies which with microfiltration (MF) have found numerous industrial applications in wastewater treatment and/or byproduct recovery. Since no phase change is involved in RO and UF, they are more energy efficient separation processes than, say, evaporation or distillation. Initial tests have been carried out to demonstrate the capability of the newly-established MTDF. Bench- and pilot-scale RO treatment, at 4.1 MPa applied pressure, of a simulated nickel plating waste rinse stream was demonstrated. RO membrane rejection efficiencies for nickel were 99+% (in the bench scale test) and 99.9+% (on the pilot scale). Volume reduction factors of about 25 were attained, at purified water flux rates in the range 1 to 1.5 m{sup 3}/m{sup 2} per day. Good correlation was noted between bench-scale and pilot-scale RO test results. Pilot-scale UF of a simulated industrial cutting oil/water waste emulsion at 0.40 MPa gave 99+% oil rejection (pilot scale) at a flux rate of 0.7 m{sup 3}/m{sup 2} per day. A volume reduction of about 5.2 was attained. Overviews of opportunities for membrane separation technology applied to the metal cutting and surface finishing industries, and the food and beverage industry are given. Capabilities (and some present needs) of the MTDF are outlined, with recommendations. 17 refs., 10 figs., 7 tabs.

Electrochemical analysis of ion-exchange membranes with respect to a possible use in electrodialytic decontamination of soil polluted with heavy metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henrik; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.; Laursen, Søren

1997-01-01

Transport numbers in different metal chloride solutions were estimated using the emf method for two ion-exchange membranes: Ionics CR67 HMR412 (cation-exchange membrane) and Ionics AR204 SXRA 7639 (anion-exchange membrane). The cation-exchange membrane was found to work nearly ideally for Na...... experiments taken as a simplified simulation of the electrokinetic decontamination method showed that it was possible to remove all ions in the simulated soil volume, with a sharp increase in the potential difference over the soil volume as a result, and that it was possible to control the metal content...

Novel high-performance nanocomposite proton exchange membranes based on poly (ether sulfone)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasani-Sadrabadi, Mohammad Mahdi [Polymer Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Dashtimoghadam, Erfan; Ghaffarian, Seyed Reza [Polymer Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Hasani Sadrabadi, Mohammad Hossein [Faculty of Social and Economics Science, Alzahra University, Tehran (Iran); Heidari, Mahdi [Graduate School of Management and Economics, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Moaddel, Homayoun [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2010-01-15

In the present research, proton exchange membranes based on partially sulfonated poly (ether sulfone) (S-PES) with various degrees of sulfonation were synthesized. It was found that the increasing of sulfonation degree up to 40% results in the enhancement of water uptake, ion exchange capacity and proton conductivity properties of the prepared membranes to 28.1%, 1.59 meq g{sup -1}, and 0.145 S cm{sup -1}, respectively. Afterwards, nanocomposite membranes based on S-PES (at the predetermined optimum sulfonation degree) containing various loading weights of organically treated montmorillonite (OMMT) were prepared via the solution intercalation technique. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the exfoliated structure of OMMT in the macromolecular matrices. The S-PES nanocomposite membrane with 3.0 wt% of OMMT content showed the maximum selectivity parameter of about 520,000 S s cm{sup -3} which is related to the high conductivity of 0.051 S cm{sup -1} and low methanol permeability of 9.8 x 10{sup -8} cm{sup 2} s{sup -1}. Furthermore, single cell DMFC fuel cell performance test with 4 molar methanol concentration showed a high power density (131 mW cm{sup -2}) of the nanocomposite membrane at the optimum composition (40% of sulfonation and 3.0 wt% of OMMT loading) compared to the Nafion {sup registered} 117 membrane (114 mW cm{sup -2}). Manufactured nanocomposite membranes thanks to their high selectivity, ease of preparation and low cost could be suggested as the ideal candidate for the direct methanol fuel cell applications. (author)

Multicomponent ion transport in a mono and bilayer cation-exchange membrane at high current density

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moshtari Khah, S.; Oppers, N.A.W.; de Groot, M.T.; Keurentjes, J.T.F.; Schouten, J.C.; van der Schaaf, J.

2017-01-01

This work describes a model for bilayer cation-exchange membranes used in the chlor-alkali process. The ion transport inside the membrane is modeled with the Nernst–Planck equation. A logistic function is used at the boundary between the two layers of the bilayer membrane to describe the change in

Hybrid systems with lead-acid battery and proton-exchange membrane fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Jossen, Andreas; Garche, Juergen; Doering, Harry; Goetz, Markus; Knaupp, Werner; Joerissen, Ludwig

Hybrid systems, based on a lead-acid battery and a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) give the possibility to combine the advantages of both technologies. The benefits for different applications are discussed and the practical realisation of such systems is shown. Furthermore a numerical model for such a hybrid system is described and results are shown and discussed. The results show that the combination of lead-acid batteries and PEMFC shows advantages in case of applications with high peak power requirements (i.e. electric scooter) and applications where the fuel cell is used as auxiliary power supply to recharge the battery. The high efficiency of fuel cells at partial load operation results in a good fuel economy for recharging of lead-acid batteries with a fuel cell system.

Demonstration on endurance of ion exchange membrane immersed in high-concentration tritiated water under the Broader Approach Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwai, Yasunori, E-mail: iwai.yasunori@jaea.go.jp; Sato, Katsumi; Kawamura, Yoshinori; Yamanishi, Toshihiko

2013-10-15

Highlights: • Endurance of Nafion ion exchange membrane immersed in 1.38 × 10{sup 12} Bq/kg of highly concentrated tritiated water was demonstrated. • Degradation of Nafion backbone structure by tritium beta was similar to that by gamma rays and electron beams at an equivalent dose. • Degradation directly by radiation was dominant at room temperature compared with that by reactions with radicals produced from water radiolysis. -- Abstract: The Nafion{sup ®} ion exchange membrane is a key material for electrolysis cells of the water detritiation system. Endurance of Nafion ion exchange membrane immersed in 1.38 × 10{sup 12} Bq/kg of highly concentrated tritiated water has been demonstrated at room temperature for up to 2 years under the Broader Approach Activities. The curves of percent elongation at break vs. dose and tensile strength vs. dose for the Nafion membranes immersed in tritiated water were well consistent with those for Nafion membranes irradiated to an equivalent dose with gamma rays and electron beams. This shows that the degradation of Nafion backbone structure by tritium beta is similar to that by gamma rays and electron beams. The results of ferric Fenton test indicated that the degradation directly by radiation was dominant at room temperature compared with that by reactions with radicals produced from water radiolysis. The curve of ion exchange capacity vs. dose for the Nafion membranes immersed in tritiated water was also well consistent with that for Nafion membranes irradiated to an equivalent dose with gamma rays and electron beams. These results showed irradiation tests with gamma rays and electron beams were alternative for predicting degradation of ion exchange membrane by tritium beta.

Energy conservation employing membrane-based technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayanan, C.M.

1993-01-01

Membranes based processes, if properly adapted to industrial processes have good potential with regard to optimisation and economisation of energy consumption. The specific benefits of MBT (membrane based technology) as an energy conservation methodology are highlighted. (author). 6 refs

Preparation of new proton exchange membranes using sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) modified by octylamine (SPESOS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabrouk, W.; Ogier, L.; Matoussi, F.; Sollogoub, C.; Vidal, S.; Dachraoui, M.; Fauvarque, J.F.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → New, simple and cheap way to synthesize a membrane. → The membranes combine good proton conductivities with good mechanical properties. → The membrane performances in a fuel cell are similar to the Nafion 117. - Abstract: Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPES) has received considerable attention in membrane preparation for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). But such membranes are brittle and difficult to handle in operation. We investigated new membranes using SPES grafted with various degrees of octylamine. Five new materials made from sulfonated polyethersulfone sulfonamide (SPESOS) were synthetized with different grades of grafting. They were made from SPES, with initially an ionic exchange capacity (IEC) of 2.4 meq g -1 (1.3 H + per monomer unit). Pristine SPES with that IEC is water swelling and becomes soluble at 80 deg. C, its proton conductivity is in the range of 0.1 S cm -1 at room temperature in aqueous H 2 SO 4 1 M, similar to that of Nafion. After grafting with various amounts of octylamine, the material is water insoluble; membranes are less brittle and show sufficient ionic conductivity. Proton transport numbers were measured close to 1.

Determining time-weighted average concentrations of nitrate and ammonium in freshwaters using DGT with ion exchange membrane-based binding layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Jianyin; Bennett, William W.; Welsh, David T.

2016-01-01

Commercially-available AMI-7001 anion exchange and CMI-7000 cation exchange membranes were utilised as binding layers for DGT measurements of NO3-N and NH4-N in freshwaters. These ion exchange membranes are easier to prepare and handle than DGT binding layers consisting of hydrogels cast with ion...... exchange resins. The membranes showed good uptake and elution efficiencies for both NO3-N and NH4-N. The membrane-based DGTs are suitable for pH 3.5-8.5 and ionic strength ranges (0.0001-0.014 and 0.0003-0.012 mol L−1 as NaCl for the AMI-7001 and CMI-7000 membrane, respectively) typical of most natural...... freshwaters. The binding membranes had high intrinsic binding capacities for NO3-N and NH4-N of 911 ± 88 μg and 3512 ± 51 μg, respectively. Interferences from the major competing ions for membrane-based DGTs are similar to DGTs employing resin-based binding layers but with slightly different selectivity...

Preparation of Nafion 117™-SnO₂ Composite Membranes using an Ion-Exchange Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Casper Frydendal; Nielsen, Ulla Gro; Skou, Eivind Morten

2012-01-01

Nafion 117™-SnO2 composite membranes were prepared by in-situ particle formation using an ion-exchange method. SnO2 was incorporated into Nafion 117ä membranes by ion-exchange in solutions of SnCl2 ∙2 H2O in methanol, followed by oxidation to SnO2 in air. By adjustment of the concentration of SnCl2...... ∙ 2 H2O used in the ion-exchange step, compositions ranging from 2 to 8 wt% SnO2 with SnO2 homogeneously distributed as nanoparticles were obtained. The prepared nanocomposite membranes were characterized by powder XRD, 119Sn MAS NMR spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, water uptake...

Correlation between morphology, water uptake, and proton conductivity in radiation-grafted proton-exchange membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balog, Sandor; Gasser, Urs; Mortensen, Kell

2010-01-01

An SANS investigation of hydrated proton exchange membranes is presented. Our membranes were synthesized by radiation-induced grafting of ETFE with styrene in the presence of a crosslinker, followed by sulfonation of the styrene. The contrast variation method was used to understand the relationship...

Application of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell for Lift Trucks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hosseinzadeh, Elham; Rokni, Masoud

2011-01-01

In this study a general PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) model has been developed to take into account the effect of pressure losses, water crossovers, humidity aspects and voltage over potentials in the cells. The model is zero dimensional and it is assumed to be steady state. The effect...

Model-based fault detection for proton exchange membrane fuel cell ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper, an intelligent model-based fault detection (FD) is developed for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) dynamic systems using an independent radial basis function (RBF) networks. The novelty is that this RBF networks is used to model the PEMFC dynamic systems and residuals are generated based ...

Desalination by electrodialysis with the ion-exchange membrane prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Seong-Ho; Han Jeong, Young; Jeong Ryoo, Jae; Lee, Kwang-Pill E-mail: kplee@kyungpook.ac.kr

2001-07-01

Ion-exchange membranes modified with the triethylamine [-N(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 3}){sub 3}] and phosphoric acid (-PO{sub 3} H) groups were prepared by radiation-induced grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto the polyolefin nonwavon fabric (PNF) and subsequent chemical modification of poly(GMA) graft chains. The physical and chemical properties of the GMA-grafted PNF and the PNF modified with ion-exchange groups were investigated by SEM, XPS, TGA, and DSC. Furthermore, electrochemical properties such as specific electric resistance, transport number of K{sup +}, and desalination were examined. The grafting yield increased with increasing reaction time and reaction temperature. The maximum grafting yield was obtained with 40% (vol.%) monomer concentration in dioxane at 60 deg. C. The content of the cation- and anion-exchange group increased with increasing grafting yield. Electrical resistance of the PNF modified with TEA and -PO{sub 3} H group decreased, while the water uptake (%) increased with increasing ion-exchange group capacities. Transport number of the PNF modified with ion-exchange group were the range of ca. 0.82-0.92. The graft-type ion-exchange membranes prepared by radiation-induced graft copolymerization were successfully applied as separators for electrodialysis. (author)

Internal humidifying of PEM [Proton Exchange Membrane] fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staschewski, D [Karlsruhe Research Center (FZK), Karlsruhe (Germany). Inst. for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technics

1996-12-01

Hydrogen fuel cells (FC) for vehicular traction should stand out for a car-specific lightweight design. As regards PEMFC systems containing proton exchange membranes, this quality can be considerably improved by introducing porous bipolar plates which are conditioned by a water loop and deliver hot humidifying water to the adjacent membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). According to the principle of internal humidification here indicated special fuel cells based on sintered fiber and powder graphite were manufactured at FZK on a semi-technical scale. Self-made Pt/C electrodes hotpressed onto Nafion resulted in currents up to 200 A with pure oxygen as oxidant, providing the precondition for detailed studies of turnover and drainage rates within a monocell test arrangement. (author)

Preparation of the proton exchange membranes for fuel cell under pre-irradiation induced grafting method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jingye; Muto, F.; Matsuura, A.; Kakiji, T.; Miura, T.; Oshima, A.; Washio, M.; Katsumura, Y.

2006-01-01

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were prepared via pre-irradiation induced grafting of styrene or styrene/divinylbenzene (S/DVB) into the crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene (RX-PTFE) films with thickness around 10 m and then sulfonated by chlorosulfonic acid. The membrane electrode assembles (MEAs) based on these PEMs with ion exchange capacity (IEC) values around 2meq/g were prepared by hot-press with Nafion dispersion coated on the surfaces of the membranes and electrodes. And the MEA based on the Nafion 112 membrane was also prepared under same procedure as a comparison. The performances of the MEAs in single fuel cell were tested under different working temperatures and humidification conditions. The performance of the synthesized PEMs showed better results than that of Nafion 112 membrane under low humidification at 80 degree C. The electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) were taken with the direct current density of 0.5A/cm 2 and the resulted curves in Nyqvist representation obeyed the half circle pattern. (authors)

Investigation on degradation mechanism of ion exchange membrane immersed in highly concentrated tritiated water under the Broader Approach Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwai, Yasunori, E-mail: iwai.yasunori@jaea.go.jp; Sato, Katsumi; Yamanishi, Toshihiko

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Endurance of Nafion ion exchange membrane immersed into 1.38 × 10{sup 12} Bq/kg of highly concentrated tritiated water has been demonstrated. • The formation of free hydrophobic free products by reactions between radicals on the membrane and oxygen caused the decrease in ionic conductivity. • From the {sup 19}F NMR spectrum, no distinctive degradation in the membrane structure by interaction with tritium was measured. - Abstract: The ion exchange membrane is a key material for electrolysis cells of the water detritiation system. Durability of ion exchange membrane has been demonstrated under the Broader Approach Activities. Long-term exposure of Nafion{sup ®} ion exchange membrane in 1.38 × 10{sup 12} Bq/kg of tritiated water was conducted at room temperature for up to 2 years. The ionic conductivity of Nafion{sup ®} membrane after immersed in tritiated water was changed. The change in color of membrane from colorless to yellowish was caused by reactions of radicals on the polymer and oxygen molecules in air. Infrared Fourier transform spectrum of a yellowish membrane revealed a small peak for bending vibration of C-H situated at 1437 cm{sup −1}, demonstrating the formation of hydrophobic functional group in the membrane. The hydrophilic network in Nafion{sup ®} membrane was partially obstructed by the hydrophobic free products. This caused the decrease in ionic conductivity. The peak for bending vibration was clearly eliminated in the spectrum of the membrane after treatment by acid for removal of free products. The high-resolution solid state {sup 19}F NMR spectrum of a membrane after immersed in tritiated water was similar to that of a membrane irradiated with gamma-rays. From the {sup 19}F NMR spectrum, no distinctive degradation in the membrane structure by interaction with tritium was measured.

Investigation on degradation mechanism of ion exchange membrane immersed in highly concentrated tritiated water under the Broader Approach Activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwai, Yasunori; Sato, Katsumi; Yamanishi, Toshihiko

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Endurance of Nafion ion exchange membrane immersed into 1.38 × 10 12 Bq/kg of highly concentrated tritiated water has been demonstrated. • The formation of free hydrophobic free products by reactions between radicals on the membrane and oxygen caused the decrease in ionic conductivity. • From the 19 F NMR spectrum, no distinctive degradation in the membrane structure by interaction with tritium was measured. - Abstract: The ion exchange membrane is a key material for electrolysis cells of the water detritiation system. Durability of ion exchange membrane has been demonstrated under the Broader Approach Activities. Long-term exposure of Nafion ® ion exchange membrane in 1.38 × 10 12 Bq/kg of tritiated water was conducted at room temperature for up to 2 years. The ionic conductivity of Nafion ® membrane after immersed in tritiated water was changed. The change in color of membrane from colorless to yellowish was caused by reactions of radicals on the polymer and oxygen molecules in air. Infrared Fourier transform spectrum of a yellowish membrane revealed a small peak for bending vibration of C-H situated at 1437 cm −1 , demonstrating the formation of hydrophobic functional group in the membrane. The hydrophilic network in Nafion ® membrane was partially obstructed by the hydrophobic free products. This caused the decrease in ionic conductivity. The peak for bending vibration was clearly eliminated in the spectrum of the membrane after treatment by acid for removal of free products. The high-resolution solid state 19 F NMR spectrum of a membrane after immersed in tritiated water was similar to that of a membrane irradiated with gamma-rays. From the 19 F NMR spectrum, no distinctive degradation in the membrane structure by interaction with tritium was measured

Analysis of heterogeneous oxygen exchange and fuel oxidation on the catalytic surface of perovskite membranes

KAUST Repository

Hong, Jongsup

2013-10-01

The catalytic kinetics of oxygen surface exchange and fuel oxidation for a perovskite membrane is investigated in terms of the thermodynamic state in the immediate vicinity of or on the membrane surface. Perovskite membranes have been shown to exhibit both oxygen perm-selectivity and catalytic activity for hydrocarbon conversion. A fundamental description of their catalytic surface reactions is needed. In this study, we infer the kinetic parameters for heterogeneous oxygen surface exchange and catalytic fuel conversion reactions, based on permeation rate measurements and a spatially resolved physical model that incorporates detailed chemical kinetics and transport in the gas-phase. The conservation equations for surface and bulk species are coupled with those of the gas-phase species through the species production rates from surface reactions. It is shown that oxygen surface exchange is limited by dissociative/associative adsorption/desorption of oxygen molecules onto/from the membrane surface. On the sweep side, while the catalytic conversion of methane to methyl radical governs the overall surface reactions at high temperature, carbon monoxide oxidation on the membrane surface is dominant at low temperature. Given the sweep side conditions considered in ITM reactor experiments, gas-phase reactions also play an important role, indicating the significance of investigating both homogeneous and heterogeneous chemistry and their coupling when examining the results. We show that the local thermodynamic state at the membrane surface should be considered when constructing and examining models of oxygen permeation and heterogeneous chemistry. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Analysis of heterogeneous oxygen exchange and fuel oxidation on the catalytic surface of perovskite membranes

KAUST Repository

Hong, Jongsup; Kirchen, Patrick; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.

2013-01-01

The catalytic kinetics of oxygen surface exchange and fuel oxidation for a perovskite membrane is investigated in terms of the thermodynamic state in the immediate vicinity of or on the membrane surface. Perovskite membranes have been shown to exhibit both oxygen perm-selectivity and catalytic activity for hydrocarbon conversion. A fundamental description of their catalytic surface reactions is needed. In this study, we infer the kinetic parameters for heterogeneous oxygen surface exchange and catalytic fuel conversion reactions, based on permeation rate measurements and a spatially resolved physical model that incorporates detailed chemical kinetics and transport in the gas-phase. The conservation equations for surface and bulk species are coupled with those of the gas-phase species through the species production rates from surface reactions. It is shown that oxygen surface exchange is limited by dissociative/associative adsorption/desorption of oxygen molecules onto/from the membrane surface. On the sweep side, while the catalytic conversion of methane to methyl radical governs the overall surface reactions at high temperature, carbon monoxide oxidation on the membrane surface is dominant at low temperature. Given the sweep side conditions considered in ITM reactor experiments, gas-phase reactions also play an important role, indicating the significance of investigating both homogeneous and heterogeneous chemistry and their coupling when examining the results. We show that the local thermodynamic state at the membrane surface should be considered when constructing and examining models of oxygen permeation and heterogeneous chemistry. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Membrane association of the Arabidopsis ARF exchange factor GNOM involves interaction of conserved domains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anders, Nadine; Nielsen, Michael M.; Keicher, Jutta

2008-01-01

vesicle formation by activating ARF GTPases on specific membranes in animals, plants, and fungi. However, apart from the catalytic exchange activity of the SEC7 domain, the functional significance of other conserved domains is virtually unknown. Here, we show that a distinct N-terminal domain of GNOM......The GNOM protein plays a fundamental role in Arabidopsis thaliana development by regulating endosome-to-plasma membrane trafficking required for polar localization of the auxin efflux carrier PIN1. GNOM is a family member of large ARF guanine nucleotide exchange factors (ARF-GEFs), which regulate...... mediates dimerization and in addition interacts heterotypically with two other conserved domains in vivo. In contrast with N-terminal dimerization, the heterotypic interaction is essential for GNOM function, as mutations abolishing this interaction inactivate the GNOM protein and compromise its membrane...

Recent Progress on the Key Materials and Components for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells in Vehicle Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Fuel cells are the most clean and efficient power source for vehicles. In particular, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs are the most promising candidate for automobile applications due to their rapid start-up and low-temperature operation. Through extensive global research efforts in the latest decade, the performance of PEMFCs, including energy efficiency, volumetric and mass power density, and low temperature startup ability, have achieved significant breakthroughs. In 2014, fuel cell powered vehicles were introduced into the market by several prominent vehicle companies. However, the low durability and high cost of PEMFC systems are still the main obstacles for large-scale industrialization of this technology. The key materials and components used in PEMFCs greatly affect their durability and cost. In this review, the technical progress of key materials and components for PEMFCs has been summarized and critically discussed, including topics such as the membrane, catalyst layer, gas diffusion layer, and bipolar plate. The development of high-durability processing technologies is also introduced. Finally, this review is concluded with personal perspectives on the future research directions of this area.

Synthesis and Characterization of Sulfonated Graphene Oxide Reinforced Sulfonated Poly (Ether Ether Ketone (SPEEK Composites for Proton Exchange Membrane Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ning Cao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available As a clean energy utilization device, full cell is gaining more and more attention. Proton exchange membrane (PEM is a key component of the full cell. The commercial-sulfonated, tetrafluoroethylene-based fluoropolymer-copolymer (Nafion membrane exhibits excellent proton conductivity under a fully humidified environment. However, it also has some disadvantages in practice, such as high fuel permeability, a complex synthesis process, and high cost. To overcome these disadvantages, a low-cost and novel membrane was developed. The sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone (SPEEK was selected as the base material of the proton exchange membrane. Sulfonated graphene (SG was cross-linked with SPEEK through the elimination reaction of hydrogen bonds. It was found that the sulfonic acid groups and hydrophilic oxygen groups increased obviously in the resultant membrane. Compared with the pure SPEEK membrane, the SG-reinforced membrane exhibited better proton conductivity and methanol permeability prevention. The results indicate that the SG/SPEEK could be applied as a new proton exchange membrane in fuel cells.

Novel ion-exchange nanocomposite membrane containing in-situ formed FeOOH nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and transport properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heidary, Farhad; Kharat, Ali Nemati [University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khodabakhshi, Ali Reza [Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-04-15

A new type of cation-exchange nanocomposite membrane was prepared via in-situ formation of FeOOH nanoparticles in a blend containing sulfonated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) and sulfonated polyvinylchloride by a simple one-step chemical method. Prepared nanocomposite membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The SEM images showed uniform dispersion of FeOOH nanoparticles throughout the polymeric matrices. The effect of additive loading on physicochemical and electrochemical properties of prepared cation-exchange nanocomposite membranes was studied. Various characterizations showed that the incorporation of different amounts of FeOOH nanoparticles into the basic membrane structure had a significant influence on the membrane performance and could improve the electrochemical properties.

Reducing nitrogen crossover in microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells by using adjacent anion exchange membranes and anion exchange resin

KAUST Repository

Wallack, Maxwell J.; Geise, Geoffrey M.; Hatzell, Marta C.; Hickner, Michael A.; Logan, Bruce E.

2015-01-01

Microbial reverse electrodialysis cells (MRECs) combine power generation from salinity gradient energy using reverse electrodialysis (RED), with power generation from organic matter using a microbial fuel cell. Waste heat can be used to distill ammonium bicarbonate into high (HC) and low salt concentration (LC) solutions for use in the RED stack, but nitrogen crossover into the anode chamber must be minimized to avoid ammonia loses, and foster a healthy microbial community. To reduce nitrogen crossover, an additional low concentration (LC) chamber was inserted before the anode using an additional anion exchange membrane (AEM) next to another AEM, and filled with different amounts of anion or cation ion exchange resins. Addition of the extra AEM increased the ohmic resistance of the test RED stack from 103 Ω cm2 (1 AEM) to 295 Ω cm2 (2 AEMs). However, the use of the anion exchange resin decreased the solution resistance of the LC chamber by 74% (637 Ω cm2, no resin; 166 Ω cm2 with resin). Nitrogen crossover into the anode chamber was reduced by up to 97% using 50% of the chamber filled with an anion exchange resin compared to the control (no additional chamber). The added resistance contributed by the use of the additional LC chamber could be compensated for by using additional LC and HC membrane pairs in the RED stack.

Preparation of high-capacity, weak anion-exchange membranes by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) and subsequent derivatization with diethylamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian, Xiaolei; Fan, Hua; Wang, Chaozhan; Wei, Yinmao

2013-01-01

Ion-exchange membrane is of importance for the development of membrane chromatography. In this work, a high-capacity anion-exchange membrane was prepared by grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto the surface of regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and subsequent derivatization with diethylamine. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize changes in the chemical functionality, surface topography and pore morphology of the modified membranes. The static capacity of the prepared anion-exchange membrane was evaluated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. The results indicated that the anion-exchange membrane which could reach a maximum capacity of 96 mg/mL for static adsorption possesses a higher adsorption capacity, and the adsorption capacity increases with the polymerization time. The effect of pH and salt concentration confirmed that the adsorption of BSA followed ion-exchange mechanism. The established method would have potential application in the preparation of anion-exchange membrane.

Characterisation of a re-cast composite Nafion 1100 series of proton exchange membranes incorporating inert inorganic oxide particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slade, S.M.; Smith, J.R.; Campbell, S.A.; Ralph, T.R.; Ponce de Leon, C.; Walsh, F.C.

2010-01-01

A series of cation exchange membranes was produced by impregnating and coating both sides of a quartz web with a Nafion solution (1100 EW, 10%wt in water). Inert filler particles (SiO 2 , ZrO 2 or TiO 2 ; 5-20%wt) were incorporated into the aqueous Nafion solution to produce robust, composite membranes. Ion-exchange capacity/equivalent weight, water take-up, thickness change on hydration and ionic and electrical conductivity were measured in 1 mol dm -3 sulfuric acid at 298 K. The TiO 2 filler significantly impacted on these properties, producing higher water take-up and increased conductivity. Such membranes may be beneficial for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell operation at low humidification. The PEM fuel cell performance of the composite membranes containing SiO 2 fillers was examined in a Ballard Mark 5E unit cell. While the use of composite membranes offers a cost reduction, the unit cell performance was reduced, in practice, due to drying of the ionomer at the cathode.

Review of cell performance in anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dekel, Dario R.

2018-01-01

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) have recently received increasing attention since in principle they allow for the use of non-precious metal catalysts, which dramatically reduces the cost per kilowatt of power in fuel cell devices. Until not long ago, the main barrier in the development of AEMFCs was the availability of highly conductive anion exchange membranes (AEMs); however, improvements on this front in the past decade show that newly developed AEMs have already reached high levels of conductivity, leading to satisfactory cell performance. In recent years, a growing number of research studies have reported AEMFC performance results. In the last three years, new records in performance were achieved. Most of the literature reporting cell performance is based on hydrogen-AEMFCs, although an increasing number of studies have also reported the use of fuels others than hydrogen - such as alcohols, non-alcohol C-based fuels, as well as N-based fuels. This article reviews the cell performance and performance stability achieved in AEMFCs through the years since the first reports in the early 2000s.

Failure of the Nernst-Einstein equation to correlate electrical resistances and rates of ionic self-exchange across certain fixed charge membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gottlieb, M H; Sollner, K

1968-05-01

The electrical resistances and rates of self-exchange of univalent critical ions across several types of collodion matrix membranes of high ionic selectivity were studied over a wide range of conditions. The relationship which was observed between these quantities with membranes of a certain type, namely those activated with poly-2-vinyl-N-methyl pyridinium bromide, cannot be explained on the basis of current concepts of the movement of ions across ion exchange membranes. Rates of self-exchange across these membranes were several times greater than those calculated from the electrical resistances of the membranes on the basis of an expression derived by the use of the Nernst-Einstein equation. The magnitude of the discrepancy was greatest at low concentrations of the ambient electrolyte solution and was independent of the species of both critical and noncritical ions. The data obtained with other types of collodion matrix membranes were, at least approximately, in agreement with the predictions based on the Nernst-Einstein equation. Self-exchange rates across the anion permeable protamine collodion membranes, and across the cation permeable polystyrene sulfonic acid collodion membranes, were about 20% less than those calculated from the electrical resistances. The direction and magnitude of these differences, also observed by other investigators, are qualitatively understood as an electroosmotic effect. With cation permeable membranes prepared by the oxidation of preformed collodion membranes, almost exact agreement was obtained between measured and calculated self-exchange rates; the cause of the apparent absence of an electroosmotic effect with these membranes is unknown.

Theory of the formation of the electric double layer at the ion exchange membrane-solution interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Moya, A A

2015-02-21

This work aims to extend the study of the formation of the electric double layer at the interface defined by a solution and an ion-exchange membrane on the basis of the Nernst-Planck and Poisson equations, including different values of the counter-ion diffusion coefficient and the dielectric constant in the solution and membrane phases. The network simulation method is used to obtain the time evolution of the electric potential, the displacement electric vector, the electric charge density and the ionic concentrations at the interface between a binary electrolyte solution and a cation-exchange membrane with total co-ion exclusion. The numerical results for the temporal evolution of the interfacial electric potential and the surface electric charge are compared with analytical solutions derived in the limit of the shortest times by considering the Poisson equation for a simple cationic diffusion process. The steady-state results are justified from the Gouy-Chapman theory for the diffuse double layer in the limits of similar and high bathing ionic concentrations with respect to the fixed-charge concentration inside the membrane. Interesting new physical insights arise from the interpretation of the process of the formation of the electric double layer at the ion exchange membrane-solution interface on the basis of a membrane model with total co-ion exclusion.

Bias-Exchange Metadynamics Simulation of Membrane Permeation of 20 Amino Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Zanxia; Bian, Yunqiang; Hu, Guodong; Zhao, Liling; Kong, Zhenzhen; Yang, Yuedong; Wang, Jihua; Zhou, Yaoqi

2018-03-16

Thermodynamics of the permeation of amino acids from water to lipid bilayers is an important first step for understanding the mechanism of cell-permeating peptides and the thermodynamics of membrane protein structure and stability. In this work, we employed bias-exchange metadynamics simulations to simulate the membrane permeation of all 20 amino acids from water to the center of a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membrane (consists of 256 lipids) by using both directional and torsion angles for conformational sampling. The overall accuracy for the free energy profiles obtained is supported by significant correlation coefficients (correlation coefficient at 0.5-0.6) between our results and previous experimental or computational studies. The free energy profiles indicated that (1) polar amino acids have larger free energy barriers than nonpolar amino acids; (2) negatively charged amino acids are the most difficult to enter into the membrane; and (3) conformational transitions for many amino acids during membrane crossing is the key for reduced free energy barriers. These results represent the first set of simulated free energy profiles of membrane crossing for all 20 amino acids.

Bias-Exchange Metadynamics Simulation of Membrane Permeation of 20 Amino Acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zanxia Cao

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Thermodynamics of the permeation of amino acids from water to lipid bilayers is an important first step for understanding the mechanism of cell-permeating peptides and the thermodynamics of membrane protein structure and stability. In this work, we employed bias-exchange metadynamics simulations to simulate the membrane permeation of all 20 amino acids from water to the center of a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC membrane (consists of 256 lipids by using both directional and torsion angles for conformational sampling. The overall accuracy for the free energy profiles obtained is supported by significant correlation coefficients (correlation coefficient at 0.5–0.6 between our results and previous experimental or computational studies. The free energy profiles indicated that (1 polar amino acids have larger free energy barriers than nonpolar amino acids; (2 negatively charged amino acids are the most difficult to enter into the membrane; and (3 conformational transitions for many amino acids during membrane crossing is the key for reduced free energy barriers. These results represent the first set of simulated free energy profiles of membrane crossing for all 20 amino acids.

Sulfonation of cPTFE Film grafted Styrene for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yohan Yohan

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Sulfonation of γ-ray iradiated and styrene-grafted crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene film (cPTFE-g-S film have been done. The aim of the research is to make hydropyl membrane as proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Sulfonation was prepared with chlorosulfonic acid in chloroethane under various conditions. The impact of the percent of grafting, the concentration of chlorosulfonic acid, the reaction time,and the reaction temperature on the properties of sulfonated film is examinated. The results show that sulfonation of surface-grafted films is incomplete at room  temperature. The increasing of concentration of chlorosulfonic acid and reaction temperature accelerates the reaction but they also add favor side reactions. These will lead to decreasing of the ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, and proton conductivity but increasing the resistance to oxidation in a perhidrol solution. The cPTFE-g-SS membrane which is resulted has stability in a H2O2 30% solution for 20 hours.

Development of proton exchange membranes fuel cells with sulfonated HTPB-phenol; Desenvolvimento de membranas polimericas trocadoras de protons utilizando PBLH-fenol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferraz, Fernando A.; Oliveira, Angelo R.S.; Cesar-Oliveira, Maria Aparecida F. [Universidade Federal do Parana (UFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica. Lab. de Polimeros Sinteticos], e-mail: ferraz@quimica.ufpr.br; Cantao, Mauricio P. [LACTEC - Instituto de Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento, Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Centro Politecnico

2007-07-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) have been paid attention as promising candidates for vehicle and portable applications. PEMFC employ proton exchange polymer membrane which serves as an electrolyte between anode and cathode. Nafion{sup R} (DuPont), perfluorosulfonic acid/PTFE copolymer membranes are typically used as the polymer electrolyte in PEMFC due to their good chemical and mechanical properties as well as high proton conductivity. However, high cost of these materials is one of main obstacles for commercialization of PEMFC. Extensive efforts have been devoted to develop alternative polymer electrolyte membranes. Our group have investigated the development of proton exchange membranes fuel cells using sulfonated HTPB-Phenyl ether (HTPB-Phenol), making possible the formation of membranes with sulfonated groups amount of 2,4, 2,5 and 2,8 mmol/g of dry polymer from HTPB-Phenol 80, 98 and 117 respectively. These results mean a bigger values than those of the Nafion{sup R} membranes, that possess an ion exchange capacity of 0,67 up to 1,25 mmol/g of sulfonated groups. (author)

The mass balance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miloud, S.; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Wan Ramli Wan Daud

2006-01-01

A Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), operating at low temperature uses a simple chemical process to combine hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electric current and heat during the electrochemical reaction. This work concern on the theoretical consideration of the mass balance has been evaluated to predict the mass flow rate of the both gases (hydrogen/oxygen), the water mass balance, and the heat transfer in order to design a single cell PEMFC stack with a better flow field distributor on the performance of Polymer Electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Experimental study on ceramic membrane technology for onboard oxygen generation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang Dongsheng

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The ceramic membrane oxygen generation technology has advantages of high concentration of produced oxygen and potential nuclear and biochemical protection capability. The present paper studies the ceramic membrane technology for onboard oxygen generation. Comparisons are made to have knowledge of the effects of two kinds of ceramic membrane separation technologies on oxygen generation, namely electricity driven ceramic membrane separation oxygen generation technology (EDCMSOGT and pressure driven ceramic membrane separation oxygen generation technology (PDCMSOGT. Experiments were conducted under different temperatures, pressures of feed air and produced oxygen flow rates. On the basis of these experiments, the flow rate of feed air, electric power provided, oxygen recovery rate and concentration of produced oxygen are compared under each working condition. It is concluded that the EDCMSOGT is the oxygen generation means more suitable for onboard conditions.

RECENT PROGRESS OF OXYGEN/NITROGEN SEPARATION USING MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. C. CHONG

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The oxygen-enriched air is highly demanded for various industrial applications such as medical, chemical and enhanced combustion processes. The conventional oxygen/nitrogen production is either cryogenic distillation or pressure swing adsorption (PSA. Both of these techniques possess the production capability of 20 to 300 tonnes of oxygen per day and oxygen purity of more than 95%. However, these techniques are energy intensive. Alternatively, membrane technology is an emerging technology in gas separation as it requires low energy consumption and relatively moderate production volume, if compared to the conventional gas production techniques. These advantages have spurred much interest from industries and academics to speed up the commercial viability of the O2/N2 separation via membrane technology. In this review, the conventional and membrane technologies in O2/N2 separation, as well as recent development of membrane fabrication techniques and materials are reviewed. The latest membrane performance in O2/N2 separation is also tabulated and discussed.

Influence of glucose and urea on 125I transport across an anion exchange paper membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Hiroyoshi

2001-01-01

In order to study the influence of glucose and urea on the 125 I transport across an anion exchange paper membrane, the transmembrane potential, the fluxes, and the concentrations of 125 I, glucose and urea within the membrane were measured in the Na 125 I concentration-cell system containing glucose or urea. Glucose and urea increased the membrane/solution distribution of the iodide ion, but scarcely affected the diffusion process of iodide ion within the membrane

Physical-chemical hydrodynamics of the processes of sorption-membrane technology of LRW treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexander D Efanov; Pyotr N Martynov; Yuri D Boltoev; Ivan V Yagodkin; Nataliya G Bogdanovich; Sergey S Skvortsov; Alexander R Sokolovsky; Elena V Ignatova; Gennady V Grigoriev; Vitaly V Grigorov

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Liquid radioactive NPP waste is generated, when radioactive water is collected and mixed from various routine and non-routine process measures being performed in accordance with the operating regulations of reactor units with water coolant. The main sources of LRW are the primary loop water coolant, deactivation, regeneration and rinse waters, waste laundry and showers water producing the initial averaged LRW as well as spent fuel element cooling pond water and water of biological protection tanks. LRW handling can be substantially advanced, in particular, through development and introduction of the non-conventional sorption-membrane technology of NPP LRW treatment, being developed at SSC RF IPPE. This technology makes use of natural inorganic sorbents (tripolite, zeolite, ion-exchange materials) and filtering nano-structured metallic and ceramic membranes (titanium, zirconium, chromium and other or their oxides, carbides and nitrides). The efficiency of the sorption membrane technology is associated just with the investigation of the physical-chemical processes of sorption, coagulation and sedimentation under the conditions of forced and free convection occurring in LRW. Besides, it is necessary to take into consideration that the hydrodynamics of the flows of LRW being decontaminated by membrane filtration depends on the structure and composition of the porous composition pare 'nano-structured membrane-substrate'. Neglecting these peculiarities can result in drastic reduction of the time of stable LRW filtration, reduction of the operability resource of filtration systems or in quick mechanical destruction of porous materials. The paper presents the investigation results on: -the effect of the convection flows being generated by air bubbling or LRW stirring by agitator on the static sorption conditions (sorption time, medium pH, sorbent dispersity, sorbent concentration in liquid medium) and on the efficiency of extraction by

Porous polybenzimidazole membranes doped with phosphoric acid: Preparation and application in high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jin; Li, Xiaojin; Yu, Shuchun; Hao, Jinkai; Lu, Wangting; Shao, Zhigang; Yi, Baolian

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Porous polybenzimidazole membrane was prepared with glucose as porogen. • Phosphoric acid content was as high as 15.7 mol H 3 PO 4 per PBI repeat unit. • 200 h Constant current density test was carried out at 150 °C. • Degradation was due to the gap between membrane and catalyst layer. - Abstract: In this paper, the preparation and characterization of porous polybenzimidazole membranes doped with phosphoric acid were reported. For the preparation of porous polybenzimidazole membranes, glucose and saccharose were selected as porogen and added into PBI resin solution before solvent casting. The prepared porous PBI membranes had high proton conductivity and high content of acid doping at room temperature with 15.7 mol H 3 PO 4 per PBI repeat unit, much higher than pure PBI membrane at the same condition. Further, the performance and stability of the porous PBI membrane in high-temperature proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells was tested. It was found that the cell performance remained stable during 200 h stability test under a constant current discharge of 0.5 A cm −2 except for the last fifty hours. The decay in the last fifty hours was ascribed to the delamination between the catalyst layer and membrane increasing the charge-transfer resistance

On the Experimental Investigation of the Clamping Pressure Effects on the Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyser Cell Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Al Shakhshir, Saher; Frensch, Steffen Henrik; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2017-01-01

energy sources. The proton exchange membrane water electrolyser(PEMWE) is the most candidate technology to produce hydrogen from renewable energysources. PEMWE cell splits water into hydrogen and oxygen when an electric current is passedthrough it. Electrical current forces the positively charged ions...... to migrate to negatively chargedcathode, where hydrogen is reduced. Meanwhile, oxygen is produced at the anode sideelectrode and escape as a gas with the circulating water. In the recent few years, PEMWE’s R&D has inched towards; operating conditions; such asincreased operating temperature and cathode...

Fabrication of electrospun polyacrylonitrile ion-exchange membranes for application in lysozyme adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Ion exchange (IEX chromatography is commonly used in separation and purification systems. However, micropore blockage within its resin structure can easily lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of purification. To tackle this problem, we adopted the concept of membrane separation by combining electrospinning techniques with rapid alkaline hydrolysis to prepare a weak acid IEX nanofibrous membrane (AEA-COOH, consisting of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET meltblown fabric as a supporting layer, with upper and lower IEX layers consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN nanofibrous membranes. To determine the characteristics of the AEA-COOH membrane, we used the commercial product Sartobind© C IEX membrane as the standard of comparison. Results showed that the base weight and thickness of AEACOOH were 33 and 64%, relative to Sartobind© C membrane. The thermo-degradable temperature of AEA-COOH membrane (320°C was far higher than that of Sartobind© C (115°C, indicating high thermal stability. Finally, comparisons between the lysozyme adsorption rates and capacity of various IEX membranes confirmed that AEA-COOH was lighter, thinner, faster, possessing higher protein adsorption efficiency than Sartobind© C membrane.

Nanofiber Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Rapid Uptake and Recovery of Heavy Metals from Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nithinart Chitpong

2016-12-01

Full Text Available An evaluation of the performance of polyelectrolyte-modified nanofiber membranes was undertaken to determine their efficacy in the rapid uptake and recovery of heavy metals from impaired waters. The membranes were prepared by grafting poly(acrylic acid (PAA and poly(itaconic acid (PIA to cellulose nanofiber mats. Performance measurements quantified the dynamic ion-exchange capacity for cadmium (Cd, productivity, and recovery of Cd(II from the membranes by regeneration. The dynamic binding capacities of Cd(II on both types of nanofiber membrane were independent of the linear flow velocity, with a residence time of as low as 2 s. Analysis of breakthrough curves indicated that the mass flow rate increased rapidly at constant applied pressure after membranes approached equilibrium load capacity for Cd(II, apparently due to a collapse of the polymer chains on the membrane surface, leading to an increased porosity. This mechanism is supported by hydrodynamic radius (Rh measurements for PAA and PIA obtained from dynamic light scattering, which show that Rh values decrease upon Cd(II binding. Volumetric productivity was high for the nanofiber membranes, and reached 0.55 mg Cd/g/min. The use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as regeneration reagent was effective in fully recovering Cd(II from the membranes. Ion-exchange capacities were constant over five cycles of binding-regeneration.

Effect of the type of ion exchange membrane on performance, ion transport, and pH in biocatalyzed electrolysis of wastewater

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rozendal, R.A.; Sleutels, T.H.J.A.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Buisman, C.J.N.

2008-01-01

Previous studies have shown that the application of cation exchange membranes (CEMs) in bioelectrochemical systems running on wastewater can cause operational problems. In this paper the effect of alternative types of ion exchange membrane is studied in biocatalyzed electrolysis cells. Four types of

Tandem cathode for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siahrostami, Samira; Björketun, Mårten E.; Strasser, Peter

2013-01-01

The efficiency of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is limited mainly by the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode. The large cathodic overpotential is caused by correlations between binding energies of reaction intermediates in the reduction of oxygen to water. This work introduces a novel...... to identify potentially active and selective materials for both catalysts. Co-porphyrin is recommended for the first step, formation of hydrogen peroxide, and three different metal oxides – SrTiO3(100), CaTiO3(100) and WO3(100) – are suggested for the subsequent reduction step....

Estimation of Membrane Hydration Status for Standby Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems by Impedance Measurement: First Results on Variable Temperature Stack Characterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bidoggia, Benoit; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2013-01-01

Fuel cells are getting growing interest in both backup systems and electric vehicles. Although these systems are characterized by periods of standby, they must be able to start at any instant in the shortest possible time. However, the membranes of which proton exchange membrane fuel cells are made...

Crosslinked anion exchange membranes prepared from poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) for non-aqueous redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yun; Sniekers, Jeroen; Malaquias, João C.; Van Goethem, Cedric; Binnemans, Koen; Fransaer, Jan; Vankelecom, Ivo F. J.

2018-02-01

A stable and eco-friendly anion-exchange membrane (AEM) was prepared and applied in a non-aqueous all-copper redox flow battery (RFB). The AEM was prepared via a simple procedure, leading to a cross-linked structure containing quaternary ammonium groups without involvement of harmful trimethylamine. A network was thus constructed which ensured both ion transport and solvent resistance. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was tuned from 0.49 to 1.03 meq g-1 by varying the content of the 4, 4‧-bipyridine crosslinking agent. The membrane showed a good anion conductivity and retention of copper ions. As a proof of principle, a RFB single cell with this crosslinked membrane yielded a coulombic efficiency of 89%, a voltage efficiency of 61% and an energy efficiency of 54% at 7.5 mA cm-2.

Degradation modeling and operational optimization for improving the lifetime of high-temperature PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jintae; Kim, Minjin; Kang, Taegon; Sohn, Young-Jun; Song, Taewon; Choi, Kyoung Hwan

2014-01-01

High-temperature PEMFCs (proton exchange membrane fuel cells) using PA (phosphoric acid)-doped PBI (polybenzimidazole) membranes have received attention as a potential solution to several of the issues with traditional low-temperature PEMFCs. However, the durability of high-temperature PEMFCs deteriorates rapidly with increasing temperature, although its performance improves. This characteristic makes it difficult to select the proper operating temperature to achieve its target lifetime. In this paper, to resolve this problem, models were developed to predict the performance and durability of the high-temperature PEMFC as a function of operating temperature. The optimal operating temperature was then determined for a variety of lifetimes. Theoretical model to estimate cell performance and empirical model to predict the degradation rate of cell performance were constructed, respectively. The prediction results of the developed models agreed well with the experimental data. From the simulation, we could obtain higher average cell performances by optimizing the operating temperature for the given target lifetime compared to the cell performance at some temperatures determined using an existing rule of thumb. It is expected that the proposed methodologies will lead to the more rapid commercialization of this technology in such applications as stationary and automotive fuel cell systems. - Highlights: • High-temperature PEMFCs (proton exchange membrane fuel cells). • Operational optimization for improving the lifetime. • Development of the degradation modeling for high-temperature PEMFCs

APPLICATION OF MEMBRANE SORPTION REACTOR TECHNOLOGY FOR LRW MANAGEMENT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glagolenko, Yuri; Dzekun, Evgeny; Myasoedovg, Boris; Gelis, Vladimir; Kozlitin, Evgeny; Milyutin, Vitaly; Trusov, Lev; Rengel, Mike; Mackay, Stewart M.; Johnson, Michael E.

2003-01-01

A new membrane-sorption technology has been recently developed and industrially implemented in Russia for the treatment of the Liquid (Low-Level) Radioactive Waste (LRW). The first step of the technology is a precipitation of the radionuclides and/or their adsorption onto sorbents of small particle size. The second step is filtration of the precipitate/sorbent through the metal-ceramic membrane, Trumem.. The unique feature of the technology is a Membrane-Sorption Reactor (MSR), in which the precipitation / sorption and the filtration of the radionuclides occur simultaneously, in one stage. This results in high efficiency, high productivity and compactness of the equipment, which are the obvious advantages of the developed technology. Two types of MSR based on Flat Membranes device and Centrifugal Membrane device were developed. The advantages and disadvantages of application of each type of the reactors are discussed. The MSR technology has been extensively tested and efficiently implemented at ''Mayak '' nuclear facility near Chelyabinsk, Russia as well as at other Russian sites. The results of this and other applications of the MSR technology at the different Russian nuclear facilities are discussed. The results of the first industrial applications of the MSR technology for radioactive waste treatment in Russia and analysis of the available information about LRW accumulated in other countries imply that this technology can be successfully used for the Low Level Radioactive Waste treatment in the USA and in other nuclear countries

Alkali metal ion-proton exchange equilibria and water sorption studies on nafon 117 membrane and dowex 50 W exchange resins: effect of long storage or aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramkumar, Jayshree; Venkataramani, B.

2004-09-01

Alkali metal ion -H + exchanges on Nafion 117 membrane treated differently, Dowex 50 W x 4 and Dowex 50 W x 8 resins have been studied at a total ionic strength of 0.1 mol dm -3 . The water sorption isotherms of these exchangers in different ionic forms generated over the entire range of water activity, have been analysed by the D'Arcy and Watt equation (DWE). Water sorption studies have shown that the physical structure of the exchangers have changed due to long -storage or aging, resulting in poorer water sorption and even formation of pores in the case of Dowex 50 W x 8 resin. As a result, the counter ions in the exchangers are not hydrated and the water is present in a free form, albeit structured, in the resin phase. The selectivity sequence for the alkali metal ions with reference to the H + (Li + + + ) for the exchangers used in the present study is in accordance with that reported in the literature for the ionomers having sulphonic acid as the functional group. In view of the absence of hydration of the cations in the resin phase, the driving force for the selectivity of the cation, namely, the net gain in entropy, is expected to come from the loss of structured water during the exchange process. Pre treating the Nafion 117 membrane with boiling acid solution activates the clustered region of the membrane in the H + form, while pretreatment with boiling water expands the non-ionic domain (the region connecting the clusters). These modifications influence the state of water present in the Nafion 117 membrane and the ion exchange equilibria. As a result of long storage or aging, the ion exchangers lose their elasticity or swelling characteristics. The results obtained in the present study indicate that in aged materials, the ionogenic groups are existing as isolated ion -pairs rather than in a clustered morphology. (author)

Membrane Technologies in Wine Industry: An Overview.

Science.gov (United States)

El Rayess, Youssef; Mietton-Peuchot, Martine

2016-09-09

Membrane processes are increasingly reported for various applications in wine industry such as microfiltration, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis, but also emerging processes as bipolar electrodialysis and membrane contactor. Membrane-based processes are playing a critical role in the field of separation/purification, clarification, stabilization, concentration, and de-alcoholization of wine products. They begin to be an integral part of the winemaking process. This review will provide an overview of recent developments, applications, and published literature in membrane technologies applied in wine industry.

The role of polymer nanolayer architecture on the separation performance of anion-exchange membrane adsorbers: I. Protein separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhut, Bharat V; Weaver, Justin; Carter, Andrew R; Wickramasinghe, S Ranil; Husson, Scott M

2011-11-01

This contribution describes the preparation of strong anion-exchange membranes with higher protein binding capacities than the best commercial resins. Quaternary amine (Q-type) anion-exchange membranes were prepared by grafting polyelectrolyte nanolayers from the surfaces of macroporous membrane supports. A focus of this study was to better understand the role of polymer nanolayer architecture on protein binding. Membranes were prepared with different polymer chain graft densities using a newly developed surface-initiated polymerization protocol designed to provide uniform and variable chain spacing. Bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulin G were used to measure binding capacities of proteins with different size. Dynamic binding capacities of IgG were measured to evaluate the impact of polymer chain density on the accessibility of large size protein to binding sites within the polyelectrolyte nanolayer under flow conditions. The dynamic binding capacity of IgG increased nearly linearly with increasing polymer chain density, which suggests that the spacing between polymer chains is sufficient for IgG to access binding sites all along the grafted polymer chains. Furthermore, the high dynamic binding capacity of IgG (>130 mg/mL) was independent of linear flow velocity, which suggests that the mass transfer of IgG molecules to the binding sites occurs primarily via convection. Overall, this research provides clear evidence that the dynamic binding capacities of large biologics can be higher for well-designed macroporous membrane adsorbers than commercial membrane or resin ion-exchange products. Specifically, using controlled polymerization leads to anion-exchange membrane adsorbers with high binding capacities that are independent of flow rate, enabling high throughput. Results of this work should help to accelerate the broader implementation of membrane adsorbers in bioprocess purification steps. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Engineering Model Powerplant. Test Report: Benchmark Tests in Three Spatial Orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Loyselle, Patricia; Prokopius, Kevin

2011-01-01

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology is the leading candidate to replace the aging alkaline fuel cell technology, currently used on the Shuttle, for future space missions. This test effort marks the final phase of a 5-yr development program that began under the Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program, transitioned into the Next Generation Launch Technologies (NGLT) Program, and continued under Constellation Systems in the Exploration Technology Development Program. Initially, the engineering model (EM) powerplant was evaluated with respect to its performance as compared to acceptance tests carried out at the manufacturer. This was to determine the sensitivity of the powerplant performance to changes in test environment. In addition, a series of tests were performed with the powerplant in the original standard orientation. This report details the continuing EM benchmark test results in three spatial orientations as well as extended duration testing in the mission profile test. The results from these tests verify the applicability of PEM fuel cells for future NASA missions. The specifics of these different tests are described in the following sections.

Analysis of a membrane-based condesate recovery heat exchanger (CRX)

Science.gov (United States)

Newbold, D.D.

1993-01-01

The development of a temperature and humidity control system that can remove heat and recover water vapor is key to the development of an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Large quantities of water vapor must be removed from air, and this operation has proven difficult in the absense of gravity. This paper presents the modeling results from a program to develop a novel membrane-based heat exchanger known as the condensate recovery heat exchanger (CRX). This device cools and dehumidifies humid air and simultaneously recovers water-vapor condensate. In this paper, the CRX is described and the results of an analysis of the heat- and mass-transfer characteristics of the device are given.

Use of Novel Reinforced Cation Exchange Membranes for Microbial Fuel Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamaraj, Sathish-Kumar; Romano, Sergio Mollá; Moreno, Vicente Compañ; Poggi-Varaldo, H.M.; Solorza-Feria, O.

2015-01-01

This work has been focused on the synthesis and characterization of different blended membranes SPEEK-35PVA (Water), SPEEK-35PVA (DMAc) prepared by casting and nanofiber-reinforced proton exchange membranes Nafion-PVA-15, Nafion-PVA-23 and SPEEK/PVA-PVB. The two first reinforced membranes were made up of Nafion® polymer deposited between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers. The last composite membrane is considered because the PVA is a hydrophilic polymer which forms homogeneous blends with SPEEK suitable to obtain high proton conductivity, while the hydrophobic PVB can produce blends in a phase separation morphology in which very low water uptake can be found. The synthesized membranes showed an outstanding stability, high proton conductivity, and enhanced mechanical and barrier properties. The membranes were characterized in single chamber microbial fuel cells (SCMFCs) using electrochemically enriched high sodic saline hybrid H-inocula (Geobacter metallireducen, Desulfurivibrio alkaliphilus, and Marinobacter adhaerens) as biocatalyst. The best performance was obtained with Nafion-PVA-15 membrane, which achieved a maximum power density of 1053 mW/m 3 at a cell voltage of 340 mV and displayed the lowest total internal resistance (Rint ≈ 522 Ω). This result is in agreement with the low oxygen permeability and the moderate conductivity found in this kind of membranes. These results are encouraging towards obtaining high concentrated sodic saline model wastewater exploiting MFCs

Integrating Microbial Electrochemical Technology with Forward Osmosis and Membrane Bioreactors: Low-Energy Wastewater Treatment, Energy Recovery and Water Reuse

KAUST Repository

Werner, Craig M.

2014-06-01

Wastewater treatment is energy intensive, with modern wastewater treatment processes consuming 0.6 kWh/m3 of water treated, half of which is required for aeration. Considering that wastewater contains approximately 2 kWh/m3 of energy and represents a reliable alternative water resource, capturing part of this energy and reclaiming the water would offset or even eliminate energy requirements for wastewater treatment and provide a means to augment traditional water supplies. Microbial electrochemical technology is a novel technology platform that uses bacteria capable of producing an electric current outside of the cell to recover energy from wastewater. These bacteria do not require oxygen to respire but instead use an insoluble electrode as their terminal electron acceptor. Two types of microbial electrochemical technologies were investigated in this dissertation: 1) a microbial fuel cell that produces electricity; and 2) a microbial electrolysis cell that produces hydrogen with the addition of external power. On their own, microbial electrochemical technologies do not achieve sufficiently high treatment levels. Innovative approaches that integrate microbial electrochemical technologies with emerging and established membrane-based treatment processes may improve the overall extent of wastewater treatment and reclaim treated water. Forward osmosis is an emerging low-energy membrane-based technology for seawater desalination. In forward osmosis water is transported across a semipermeable membrane driven by an osmotic gradient. The microbial osmotic fuel cell described in this dissertation integrates a microbial fuel cell with forward osmosis to achieve wastewater treatment, energy recovery and partial desalination. This system required no aeration and generated more power than conventional microbial fuel cells using ion exchange membranes by minimizing electrochemical losses. Membrane bioreactors incorporate semipermeable membranes within a biological wastewater

Identification of the sodium-calcium exchanger as the major ricin-binding glycoprotein of bovine rod outer segments and its localization to the plasma membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reid, D.M.; Molday, R.S.; Friedel, U.; Cook, N.J.

1990-01-01

After neuraminidase treatment the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger of bovine rod outer segments was found to specifically bind Ricinus communis agglutinin. SDS gel electrophoresis and Western blotting of ricin-binding proteins purified from rod outer segment membranes by lectin affinity chromatography revealed the existence of two major polypeptides of M r 215K and 103K, the former of which was found to specifically react with PMe 1B3, a monoclonal antibody specific for the 230-kDa non-neuraminidase-treated Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger. Reconstitution of the ricin affinity-purified exchanger into calcium-containing liposomes revealed that neuraminidase treatment had no significant effect on the kinetics of Na + /Ca 2+ exchange activation by sodium. The authors further investigated the density of the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger in disk and plasma membrane preparations using Western blotting, radioimmunoassays, immunoelectron microscopy, and reconstitution procedures. The results indicate that the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger is localized in the rod photoreceptor plasma membrane and is absent or present in extremely low concentrations in disk membranes, as they have previously shown to be the case for the cGMP-gated cation channel. Previous reports describing the existence of Na + /Ca 2+ exchange activity in rod outer segment disk membrane preparations may be due to the fusion of plasma membrane components and/or the presence of contaminating plasma membrane vesicles

Fluorinated poly(ether sulfone) ionomers with disulfonated naphthyl pendants for proton exchange membrane applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Zhaoxia; Lu, Yao; Zhang, Xulve; Yan, Xiaobo; Li, Na; Chen, Shouwen

2018-06-01

Proton exchange membranes based on fluorinated poly(ether sulfone)s with disulfonated naphthyl pendants (sSPFES) have been successfully prepared by post functionalization through polymeric SNAr reaction. Copolymer structure was confirmed by H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the physico-chemical properties of the sSPFES membranes were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, gel permeation chromatography, electro-chemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fenton, water-swelling and fuel cell test. The pendant grafting degree was controlled by varying the feeding amount of the disulfonaphthols, resulting in the ion exchange capacity about 1.28-1.73 mmol/g. The obtained sSPFES membranes were thermal stable, mechanical ductile, and exhibited dimensional change less than 17%, water uptake below 70%, and proton conductivity as high as 0.17-0.28 S/cm at 90°C in water. In a single H2/O2 fuel cell test at 80°C, the sSPFES-B-3.2 membrane (1.61 mmol/g) showed the maximum power output of 593-658 mW/cm2 at 60%-80% relative humidity, indicating their rather promising potential for fuel cell applications.

Modified nanocrystal cellulose/fluorene-containing sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone ketone) composites for proton exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yingcong; Shang, Yabei; Ni, Chuangjiang; Zhang, Hanyu; Li, Xiaobai; Liu, Baijun; Men, Yongfeng; Zhang, Mingyao; Hu, Wei

2017-09-01

Highly sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s (SFPEEKKs) with sulfonation degrees of 2.34 (SFPEEKK5) and 2.48 (SFPEEKK10) were synthesized through the direct sulfonation of a fluorene-containing poly(ether ether ketone ketone) under a relatively mild reaction condition. Using the solution blending method, sulfonated nanocrystal cellulose (sNCC)-enhanced SFPEEKK composites (SFPEEKK/sNCC) were successfully prepared for investigation as proton exchange membranes. Transmission electron microscopy showed that sNCC was uniformly distributed in the composite membranes. The properties of the composite membranes, including thermal stability, mechanical properties, water uptake, swelling ratio, oxidative stability and proton conductivity were thoroughly evaluated. Results indicated that the insertion of sNCC could contribute to water management and improve the mechanical performance of the membranes. Notably, the proton conductivity of SFPEEKK5/sNCC-5 was as high as 0.242 S cm-1 at 80 °C. All data proved the potential of SFPEEKK/sNCC composites for proton exchange membranes in medium-temperature fuel cells.

Amphoteric Ion-Exchange Membranes with Significantly Improved Vanadium Barrier Properties for All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nibel, Olga; Rojek, Tomasz; Schmidt, Thomas J; Gubler, Lorenz

2017-07-10

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) have attracted considerable interest as promising energy-storage devices that can allow the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources. The membrane, which separates the porous electrodes in a redox flow cell, is one of the key components in VRBs. High rates of crossover of vanadium ions and water through the membrane impair the efficiency and capacity of a VRB. Thus, membranes with low permeation rate of vanadium species and water are required, also characterized by low resistance and stability in the VRB environment. Here, we present a new design concept for amphoteric ion-exchange membranes, based on radiation-induced grafting of vinylpyridine into an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene base film and a two-step functionalization to introduce cationic and anionic exchange sites, respectively. During long-term cycling, redox flow cells containing these membranes showed higher efficiency, less pronounced electrolyte imbalance, and significantly reduced capacity decay compared to the cells with the benchmark material Nafion 117. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of commercial proton exchange membrane materials after exposure to beta and gamma radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomson, S.N.; Carson, R.; Muirhead, C.; Li, H.; Castillo, I.; Boniface, H.; Suppiah, S. [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, ON (Canada); Ratnayake, A.; Robinson, J. [Tyne Engineering Inc., Burlington, ON (Canada)

2015-03-15

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) type electrolysis cells have a potential use for tritium removal and heavy water upgrading. AECL is currently exposing various commercial PEM materials to both gamma (Cobalt-60 source) and beta (tritiated water) radiation to study the effects of radiation on these materials. This paper summarizes the testing methods and results that have been collected to date. The PEM materials that are or have been exposed to radiation are: Nafion 112, 212, 117 and 1110. Membrane characterization pre- and post- exposure consists of non-destructive inspection (FTIR, SEM/XPS), mechanical (tensile strength, percentage elongation, and modulus), electrical (resistance), or chemical (ion-exchange capacity - IEC). It has appeared that the best characterization techniques to compare exposed versus unexposed membranes were IEC, ultimate tensile strength and percent elongation. These testing techniques are easy and cheap to perform. The non-destructive tests, such as SEM and FTIR did not provide particularly useful information on radiation-induced degradation. Where changes in material properties were measured after radiation exposure, they would be expected to result in poorer cell performance. However, for modest γ-radiation exposure, all membranes showed a slight decrease in cell voltage (better performance). In contrast, the one β-radiation exposed membrane did show the expected increase in cell voltage. The counterintuitive trend for γ-radiation exposed membranes is not yet understood. Based on these preliminary results, it appears that γ- and β-radiation exposures have different effects.

Comparison of membrane bioreactor technology and conventional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this paper was to review the use of membrane bioreactor technology as an alternative for treating the discharged effluent from a bleached kraft mill by comparing and contrasting membrane bioreactors with conventional activated sludge systems for wastewater treatment. There are many water shortage ...

Nanostructure-based proton exchange membrane for fuel cell applications at high temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junsheng; Wang, Zhengbang; Li, Junrui; Pan, Mu; Tang, Haolin

2014-02-01

As a clean and highly efficient energy source, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been considered an ideal alternative to traditional fossil energy sources. Great efforts have been devoted to realizing the commercialization of the PEMFC in the past decade. To eliminate some technical problems that are associated with the low-temperature operation (such as catalyst poisoning and poor water management), PEMFCs are usually operated at elevated temperatures (e.g., > 100 degrees C). However, traditional proton exchange membrane (PEM) shows poor performance at elevated temperature. To achieve a high-performance PEM for high temperature fuel cell applications, novel PEMs, which are based on nanostructures, have been developed recently. In this review, we discuss and summarize the methods for fabricating the nanostructure-based PEMs for PEMFC operated at elevated temperatures and the high temperature performance of these PEMs. We also give an outlook on the rational design and development of the nanostructure-based PEMs.

Infectious polymorphic toxins delivered by outer membrane exchange discriminate kin in myxobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassallo, Christopher N; Cao, Pengbo; Conklin, Austin; Finkelstein, Hayley; Hayes, Christopher S; Wall, Daniel

2017-08-18

Myxobacteria are known for complex social behaviors including outer membrane exchange (OME), in which cells exchange large amounts of outer membrane lipids and proteins upon contact. The TraA cell surface receptor selects OME partners based on a variable domain. However, traA polymorphism alone is not sufficient to precisely discriminate kin. Here, we report a novel family of OME-delivered toxins that promote kin discrimination of OME partners. These SitA lipoprotein toxins are polymorphic and widespread in myxobacteria. Each sitA is associated with a cognate sitI immunity gene, and in some cases a sitB accessory gene. Remarkably, we show that SitA is transferred serially between target cells, allowing the toxins to move cell-to-cell like an infectious agent. Consequently, SitA toxins define strong identity barriers between strains and likely contribute to population structure, maintenance of cooperation, and strain diversification. Moreover, these results highlight the diversity of systems evolved to deliver toxins between bacteria.

Implications of WWW technologies for exchanging medical records

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurice Dixon

1999-09-01

Full Text Available This article addresses some of the implications for medical record exchange of very recent developments in technology and tools that support the World Wide Web. It argues that XML (Extensible Mark-up Language is a very good enabling technology for medical record exchange. XML provides a much cheaper way of executing the exchange of medical information that circumvents the need for proprietary software. Use of XML can also simplify solutions to the problems associated with coping with the evolution of medical systems in time. However XML on its own does not resolve all the semantic heterogeneities.

Development of a membrane electrode assembly production process for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) by sieve printing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonifacio, Rafael Nogueira

2010-01-01

Energy is a resource that presents historical trend of growth in demand. Projections indicate that future energy needs will require a massive use of hydrogen as fuel. The use of systems based on the use of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has features that allow its application for stationary applications, automotive and portable power generation. The use of hydrogen as fuel for PEMFC has the advantage low pollutants' emission, when compared to fossil fuels. For the reactions in a PEMFC is necessary to build membrane electrode assembly (MEA). And the production of MEAs and its materials are relevant to the final cost of kW of power generated by systems of fuel cell. This represent currently a technological and financial barriers to large-scale application of this technology. In this work a process of MEAs fabrication were developed that showed high reproducibility, rapidity and low cost by sieve printing. The process of sieve printing and the ink composition as a precursor to the catalyst layer were developed, which allow the preparation of electrodes for MEAs fabrication with the implementation of the exact catalyst loading, 0.6 milligrams of platinum per square centimeters (mgPt.cm -2 ) suitable for cathodes and 0.4 mgPt.cm -2 for anode in only one application step per electrode. The ink was developed, produced, characterized and used with similar characteristics to ink of sieve printing build for other applications. The MEAs produced had a performance of up to 712 mA.cm -2 by 600 mV to 25 cm 2 MEA area. The MEA cost production for MEAs of 247.86 cm 2 , that can generate 1 kilowatt of energy was estimated to US$ 7,744.14 including cost of equipment, materials and labor. (author)

Haemocompatibility and ion exchange capability of nanocellulose polypyrrole membranes intended for blood purification

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraz, Natalia; Carlsson, Daniel O.; Hong, Jaan; Larsson, Rolf; Fellström, Bengt; Nyholm, Leif; Strømme, Maria; Mihranyan, Albert

2012-01-01

Composites of nanocellulose and the conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy) are presented as candidates for a new generation of haemodialysis membranes. The composites may combine active ion exchange with passive ultrafiltration, and the large surface area (about 80 m2 g−1) could potentially provide compact dialysers. Herein, the haemocompatibility of the novel membranes and the feasibility of effectively removing small uraemic toxins by potential-controlled ion exchange were studied. The thrombogenic properties of the composites were improved by applying a stable heparin coating. In terms of platelet adhesion and thrombin generation, the composites were comparable with haemocompatible polymer polysulphone, and regarding complement activation, the composites were more biocompatible than commercially available membranes. It was possible to extract phosphate and oxalate ions from solutions with physiological pH and the same tonicity as that of the blood. The exchange capacity of the materials was found to be 600 ± 26 and 706 ± 31 μmol g−1 in a 0.1 M solution (pH 7.4) and in an isotonic solution of phosphate, respectively. The corresponding values with oxalate were 523 ± 5 in a 0.1 M solution (pH 7.4) and 610 ± 1 μmol g−1 in an isotonic solution. The heparinized PPy–cellulose composite is consequently a promising haemodialysis material, with respect to both potential-controlled extraction of small uraemic toxins and haemocompatibility. PMID:22298813

Molecular dynamics simulation of radiation grafted FEP films as proton exchange membranes: Effects of the side chain length

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Xue; Zhao, Yang; Li, Weiwei

2017-01-01

In order to study the microstructure of the prepared potential proton exchange membrane (PEM), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to lucubrate the transport behavior of water molecules and hydronium ions inside the hydrated sulfonated styrene grafted fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP...... whereas larger water clusters formed. The results of the mean square displacements (MSDs) show that the proton conductivities of the membranes with the proposed side chain lengths were about three fifths of the experimental data, of which the membrane with side chain length of 7 sulfonic styrene units...... was supposed to exhibit the highest proton conductivity, that is 115.69 mS cm-1. All of the supposed membrane models presented good proton conductivity that could definitely meet the application requirements of the proton exchange membranes. The MD simulations can provide an insight to the chain structure...

Selective preconcentration of iodide in presence of iodate using a plasticized anion-exchange membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhagat, Preeti; Rajurkar, N.S.; Acharya, R.; Pandey, A.K.; Nair, A.G.C.; Reddy, A.V.R.

2006-01-01

In the present work, the hydrophobic anion-exchange membranes were prepared by physical immobilization of Aliquat-336 (AL) in the cellulose triacetate (CTA) matrix plasticized with dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The uptake of I - in this membrane was examined in aqueous sample in the presence of IO 3 - ions in varying concentrations. In order to provide better discrimination between I - and IO 3 - ions, the uptake studies were carried out using three different counterions (CL - , Br - and NO 3 - ) in the membrane. The results of these studies are described in this paper

Development of membrane technology in BARC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, B.M.

2003-01-01

BARC has been engaged in research and development work on pressure-driven membrane technology from laboratory to pilot plant scale and its commercial scale deployment, for sea and brackish water desalination into potable water, effluent water treatment and water reuse and in various industrial separations including decontamination of radioactive liquid effluents for their safe disposal into the environment. This paper gives a brief description of pressure-driven membrane processes, reverse osmosis, nano filtration, ultrafiltration and micro filtration. Selection of polymeric candidate materials, preparation of semi-permeable membranes and their characterization has been discussed. Various applications of these processes conducted on pilot plant scale have been presented. Large scale deployment of membrane processes for sea water desalination has been indicated. Research and development at BARC has thus resulted in the indigenous development of membrane processes for commercial scale operation. (author)

Influence of cholesterol and ceramide-VI on structure of the multilamellar lipid membrane at water exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryabova, N.Yu.; Kiselev, M.A.; Balagurov, A.M.

2009-01-01

The results of neutron diffraction investigation of structure changes in multilamellar lipid membranes DPPC/cholesterol and DPPC/ceramide-VI (DPPC - dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) during the processes of hydration and dehydration are presented. The influence of cholesterol and ceramide-VI on kinetics of water exchange in DPPC membrane is characterized

Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, Kate L.; Panitchob, Nuttanont; Crocker, Ian P.; Please, Colin P.; Hanson, Mark A.; Sibley, Colin P.; Johnstone, Edward D.; Sengers, Bram G.; Lewis, Rohan M.; Glazier, Jocelyn D.

2015-01-01

Uptake of system L amino acid substrates into isolated placental plasma membrane vesicles in the absence of opposing side amino acid (zero-trans uptake) is incompatible with the concept of obligatory exchange, where influx of amino acid is coupled to efflux. We therefore hypothesized that system L amino acid exchange transporters are not fully obligatory and/or that amino acids are initially present inside the vesicles. To address this, we combined computational modeling with vesicle transport assays and transporter localization studies to investigate the mechanisms mediating [14C]l-serine (a system L substrate) transport into human placental microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles. The carrier model provided a quantitative framework to test the 2 hypotheses that l-serine transport occurs by either obligate exchange or nonobligate exchange coupled with facilitated transport (mixed transport model). The computational model could only account for experimental [14C]l-serine uptake data when the transporter was not exclusively in exchange mode, best described by the mixed transport model. MVM vesicle isolates contained endogenous amino acids allowing for potential contribution to zero-trans uptake. Both L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and LAT2 subtypes of system L were distributed to MVM, with l-serine transport attributed to LAT2. These findings suggest that exchange transporters do not function exclusively as obligate exchangers.—Widdows, K. L., Panitchob, N., Crocker, I. P., Please, C. P., Hanson, M. A., Sibley, C. P., Johnstone, E. D., Sengers, B. G., Lewis, R. M., Glazier, J. D. Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms. PMID:25761365

Radiation syntheses and characteristics of PTFE-g-PSSA ion exchange membranes for applications in vanadium redox battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Jinfen; Qiu Jinyi; Zhai Maolin; Xu Peng; Peng Jing; Li Jiuqiang; Wei Genshuan

2006-01-01

Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto polyterafluorothylene (PTFE) films was studied by simultaneous irradiation technique. The grafting was induced by 60 Co γ-rays at room temperatures. Effects of the solvent, absorbed dose, dose rate, atmosphere and initial monomer concentration on the grafting yield were investigated and optimal grafting conditions were obtained. Subsequently, sulphonation of the grafted PTFE films (PTFE-g-PS) was investigated and a series of ion exchange membranes (PTFE-g-PSSA) was prepared. FTIR, TGA, XRD and SEM measurements showed that grafting and sulfonation of the PTFE films were successfully carried out; moreover, grafting of styrene mainly occurred in the pores of PTFE films and crystallization degree of the PTFE films decreased with increase grafting yield. Water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and conductivity of the PTFE-g-PSSA membrane increased with the grafting yield. The results indicated that by 20 kGy irradiation, ion exchange membrane which was suitable for vanadium redox battery can be prepared. (authors)

Carbon nanofiber growth on carbon paper for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Celebi, S.; Nijhuis, T.A.; Schaaf, van der J.; Bruijn, de F.A.; Schouten, J.C.

2011-01-01

Homogeneous deposition precipitation (HDP) of nickel has been investigated for the growth of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on carbon paper for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells as a gas diffusion layer. Selective CNF growth on only one side of carbon paper is required to transfer the generated

Nitrogen removal from wastewater through microbial electrolysis cells and cation exchange membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Haddadi, Sakineh; Nabi-Bidhendi, Gholamreza; Mehrdadi, Nasser

2014-02-17

Vulnerability of water resources to nutrients led to progressively stricter standards for wastewater effluents. Modification of the conventional procedures to meet the new standards is inevitable. New technologies should give a priority to nitrogen removal. In this paper, ammonium chloride and urine as nitrogen sources were used to investigate the capacity of a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) configured by cation exchange membrane (CEM) for electrochemical removal of nitrogen over open-and closed-circuit potentials (OCP and CCP) during biodegradation of organic matter. Results obtained from this study indicated that CEM was permeable to both organic and ammonium nitrogen over OCP. Power substantially mediated ammonium migration from anodic wastewater to the cathode, as well. With a urine rich wastewater in the anode, the maximum rate of ammonium intake into the cathode varied from 34.2 to 40.6 mg/L.h over CCP compared to 10.5-14.9 mg/L.h over OCP. Ammonium separation over CCP was directly related to current. For 1.46-2.12 mmol electron produced, 20.5-29.7 mg-N ammonium was removed. Current also increased cathodic pH up to 12, a desirable pH for changing ammonium ion to ammonia gas. Results emphasized the potential for MEC in control of ammonium through ammonium separation and ammonia volatilization provided that membrane characteristic is considered in their development.

Removal of Congo Red from Aqueous Solution by Anion Exchange Membrane (EBTAC): Adsorption Kinetics and Themodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Muhammad Imran; Akhtar, Shahbaz; Zafar, Shagufta; Shaheen, Aqeela; Khan, Muhammad Ali; Luque, Rafael; ur Rehman, Aziz

2015-01-01

The adsorption behavior of anionic dye congo red (CR) from aqueous solutions using an anion exchange membrane (EBTAC) has been investigated at room temperature. The effect of several factors including contact time, membrane dosage, ionic strength and temperature were studied. Kinetic models, namely pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order, liquid film diffusion and Elovich models as well as Bangham and modified freundlich Equations, were employed to evaluate the experimental results. Parameters such as adsorption capacities, rate constant and related correlation coefficients for every model were calculated and discussed. The adsorption of CR on anion exchange membranes followed pseudo-second-order Kinetics. Thermodynamic parameters, namely changes in Gibbs free energy (∆G°), enthalpy (∆H°) and entropy (∆S°) were calculated for the adsorption of congo red, indicating an exothermic process. PMID:28793430

Preparations of an inorganic-framework proton exchange nanochannel membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, X. H.; Jiang, H. R.; Zhao, G.; Zeng, L.; Zhao, T. S.

2016-09-01

In this work, a proton exchange membrane composed of straight and aligned proton conducting nanochannels is developed. Preparation of the membrane involves the surface sol-gel method assisted with a through-hole anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template to form the framework of the PEM nanochannels. A monomolecular layer (SO3Hsbnd (CH2)3sbnd Sisbnd (OCH3)3) is subsequently added onto the inner surfaces of the nanochannels to shape a proton-conducting pathway. Straight nanochannels exhibit long range order morphology, contributing to a substantial improvement in the proton mobility and subsequently proton conductivity. In addition, the nanochannel size can be altered by changing the surface sol-gel condition, allowing control of the active species/charge carrier selectivity via pore size exclusion. The proton conductivity of the nanochannel membrane is reported as high as 11.3 mS cm-1 at 70 °C with a low activation energy of 0.21 eV (20.4 kJ mol-1). First-principle calculations reveal that the activation energy for proton transfer is impressively low (0.06 eV and 0.07 eV) with the assistance of water molecules.

Mimicking the cell membrane: bio-inspired simultaneous functions with monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Liu, Huimin; Tang, Kaini; Jin, Yali; Pan, Jiefeng; der Bruggen, Bart Van; Shen, Jiangnan; Gao, Congjie

2016-01-01

A new bio-inspired method was applied in this study to simultaneously improve the monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Three-layer architecture was developed by deposition of polydopamine (PDA) and electro-deposition of N-O-sulfonic acid benzyl chitosan (NSBC). The innermost and outermost layers were PDA with different deposition time. The middle layer was prepared by NSBC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that PDA and NSBC were successfully modified on the surfaces of AEMs. The contact angle of the membranes indicated an improved hydrophilicity of the modified membranes. A series of electrodialysis experiments in which Cl−/SO42− separation was studied, demonstrating the monovalent anion selectivity of the samples. The Cl−/SO42− permselectivity of the modified membranes can reach up to 2.20, higher than that of the commercial membrane (only 0.78) during 90 minutes in electrodialysis (ED). The increase value of the resistance of the membranes was also measured to evaluate the antifouling properties. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the fouling material in the ED process and the membrane area resistance of modified membrane increase value of was only 0.08 Ωcm2 30 minutes later. PMID:27853255

Mimicking the cell membrane: bio-inspired simultaneous functions with monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Liu, Huimin; Tang, Kaini; Jin, Yali; Pan, Jiefeng; der Bruggen, Bart Van; Shen, Jiangnan; Gao, Congjie

2016-11-01

A new bio-inspired method was applied in this study to simultaneously improve the monovalent anion selectivity and antifouling properties of anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Three-layer architecture was developed by deposition of polydopamine (PDA) and electro-deposition of N-O-sulfonic acid benzyl chitosan (NSBC). The innermost and outermost layers were PDA with different deposition time. The middle layer was prepared by NSBC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that PDA and NSBC were successfully modified on the surfaces of AEMs. The contact angle of the membranes indicated an improved hydrophilicity of the modified membranes. A series of electrodialysis experiments in which Cl-/SO42- separation was studied, demonstrating the monovalent anion selectivity of the samples. The Cl-/SO42- permselectivity of the modified membranes can reach up to 2.20, higher than that of the commercial membrane (only 0.78) during 90 minutes in electrodialysis (ED). The increase value of the resistance of the membranes was also measured to evaluate the antifouling properties. Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as the fouling material in the ED process and the membrane area resistance of modified membrane increase value of was only 0.08 Ωcm2 30 minutes later.

Polypyrrole layered SPEES/TPA proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neelakandan, S.; Kanagaraj, P. [PG & Research Department of Chemistry, Polymeric Materials Research Lab, Alagappa Government Arts College, Karaikudi 630003 (India); Sabarathinam, R.M. [Functional Material Division, Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi 630006 (India); Nagendran, A., E-mail: nagimmm@yahoo.com [PG & Research Department of Chemistry, Polymeric Materials Research Lab, Alagappa Government Arts College, Karaikudi 630003 (India)

2015-12-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A series of Ppy layered SPEES/TPA composite membranes were prepared. • SPEES/TPA-Ppy hybrid membranes displayed efficient methanol resistance than Nafion 117. • SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 membrane exhibits highest relative selectivity of 2.86 × 104 S cm{sup 3} s. • Increasing Ppy layer on membrane surface reduces the leaching out of tungstophosphoric acid. - Abstract: Hybrid membranes based on sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene ether ether sulfone) (SPEES)/tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) were prepared. SPEES/TPA membrane surfaces were modified with polypyrrole (Ppy) by in situ polymerization method to reduce the TPA leaching. The morphology and electrochemical property of the surface coated membranes were studied by SEM, AFM, water uptake, ion exchange capacity, proton conductivity, methanol permeability and tensile strength. The water uptake and the swelling ratio of the surface coated membranes decreased with increasing the Ppy layer. The surface roughness of the hybrid membrane was decreased with an increase in Ppy layer on the membrane surface. The methanol permeability of SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 hybrid membrane was significantly suppressed and found to be 2.1 × 10{sup −7} cm{sup 2} s{sup −1}, which is 1.9 times lower than pristine SPEES membrane. The SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 membrane exhibits highest relative selectivity (2.86 × 10{sup 4} S cm{sup −3} s) than the other membrane with low TPA leaching. The tensile strength of hybrid membranes was improved with the introduction of Ppy layer. Combining their lower swelling ratio, high thermal stability and selectivity, SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 membranes could be a promising material as PEM for DMFC applications.

Polypyrrole layered SPEES/TPA proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neelakandan, S.; Kanagaraj, P.; Sabarathinam, R.M.; Nagendran, A.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A series of Ppy layered SPEES/TPA composite membranes were prepared. • SPEES/TPA-Ppy hybrid membranes displayed efficient methanol resistance than Nafion 117. • SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 membrane exhibits highest relative selectivity of 2.86 × 104 S cm"3 s. • Increasing Ppy layer on membrane surface reduces the leaching out of tungstophosphoric acid. - Abstract: Hybrid membranes based on sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene ether ether sulfone) (SPEES)/tungstophosphoric acid (TPA) were prepared. SPEES/TPA membrane surfaces were modified with polypyrrole (Ppy) by in situ polymerization method to reduce the TPA leaching. The morphology and electrochemical property of the surface coated membranes were studied by SEM, AFM, water uptake, ion exchange capacity, proton conductivity, methanol permeability and tensile strength. The water uptake and the swelling ratio of the surface coated membranes decreased with increasing the Ppy layer. The surface roughness of the hybrid membrane was decreased with an increase in Ppy layer on the membrane surface. The methanol permeability of SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 hybrid membrane was significantly suppressed and found to be 2.1 × 10"−"7 cm"2 s"−"1, which is 1.9 times lower than pristine SPEES membrane. The SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 membrane exhibits highest relative selectivity (2.86 × 10"4 S cm"−"3 s) than the other membrane with low TPA leaching. The tensile strength of hybrid membranes was improved with the introduction of Ppy layer. Combining their lower swelling ratio, high thermal stability and selectivity, SPEES/TPA-Ppy4 membranes could be a promising material as PEM for DMFC applications.

The next generation fuel cells: anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tauqir, A.; Zahoor, S.

2013-01-01

Many environmentally friendly alternatives (solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power) can only be used in particular environments. In contrast, fuel cells can have near-zero emissions, are quiet and efficient, and can work in any environment where the temperature is lower than the cell's operating temperature. Among various types of fuel cells, the AEMFC is the most recent one and has advantages such as excellent performance compared to other candidate fuel cells due to its active O/sub 2/ electrode kinetics and flexibility to use a wide range of electro-catalysts such as silver and nickels contrary to expensive one (Platinum) required for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Anion exchange membrane (AEM) is a crucial part in AEMFC, determining durability and electrochemical performances of membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The role of an AEM is to conduct hydroxyl ions from cathode to anode. If this conduction is not sufficiently high and selective, the corresponding fuel cell will not find any practical application. One of the major problems associated with AEMFC is much lower conductivities of anion compare to proton conductivity in PEMFCs, even upon similar working condition. Thus AEMs is only practical, if it is chemically and mechanically stable against severe basic operation conditions and highly hydroxyl ions conductive. The conventional AEMs based on animated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon or even fluorinated polymers tend to be attacked by hydroxyl ions, causing the degradation during operation is strongly basic conditions. (author)

Heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes based on sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene sulfide)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schauer, Jan; Kůdela, Vlastimil; Richau, K.; Mohr, R.

2006-01-01

Roč. 198, 1-3 (2006), s. 256-264 ISSN 0011-9164 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/05/0080 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : poly(1,4-phenylene sulfide) sulfonated * ion-exchange membrane Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.917, year: 2006

Towards neat methanol operation of direct methanol fuel cells: a novel self-assembled proton exchange membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Cai, Weiwei; Ma, Liying; Zhang, Yunfeng; Chen, Zhangxian; Cheng, Hansong

2015-04-18

We report here a novel proton exchange membrane with remarkably high methanol-permeation resistivity and excellent proton conductivity enabled by carefully designed self-assembled ionic conductive channels. A direct methanol fuel cell utilizing the membrane performs well with a 20 M methanol solution, very close to the concentration of neat methanol.

Development of a membrane electrode assembly process for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldo, Wilians Roberto

2003-01-01

In this work, a Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) producing process was developed, involving simple steps, aiming cost reduction and good reproducibility for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) commercial applications. The electrodes were produced by spraying ink into both sides of the polymeric membrane, building the catalytic layers, followed by hot pressing of Gas Diffusion Layers (GDL), forming the MEA. This new producing method was called 'Spray and hot pressing hybrid method'. Concerning that all the parameters of spray and hot pressing methods are interdependent, a statistical procedure were used in order to study the mutual variables influences and to optimize the method. This study was earned out in two distinct steps: the first one, where seven variables were considered for the analysis and the second one, where only the variables that interfered in the process performance in the first step were considered for analysis. The results showed that the developed process was adequate, including only simple steps, reaching MEA's performance of 651 m A cm -2 at a potential of 600 mV for catalysts loading of 0,4 mg cm -2 Pt at the anode and 0,6 mg cm -2 Pt at the cathode. This result is compared to available commercial MEA's, with the same fuel cell operations conditions. (author)

Investigations of the temperature distribution in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Chi-Young; Shim, Hyo-Sub; Koo, Sang-Man; Lee, Sang-Hwan; Yi, Sung-Chul

2012-01-01

A two-dimensional, non-isothermal model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell was implemented to elucidate heat balance through the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). To take local utilization of platinum catalyst into account, the model was presented by considering the formation of agglomerated catalyst structure in the electrodes. To estimate energy balance through the MEA, various modes of heat generation and depletion by reversible/irreversible heat release, ohmic heating and phase change of water were included in the present model. In addition, dual-pathway kinetics, that is a combination of Heyrovsky–Volmer and Tafel–Volmer kinetics, were employed to precisely describe the hydrogen oxidation reaction. The proposed model was validated with experimental cell polarization, resulting in excellent fit. The temperature distribution inside the MEA was analyzed by the model. Consequently, a thorough investigation was made of the relation between membrane thickness and the temperature distribution inside the MEA.

Program Integration for International Technology Exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rea, J.L.

1993-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, New Mexico, supports the International Technology Exchange Division (ITED) through the integration of all international activities conducted within the DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM)

Polyarylenethioethersulfone Membranes for Fuel Cells (Postprint)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

The Electrochemical SocietyProton exchange membrane fuel cells PEMFCs are an attrac- tive power source due to their energy efficiency and...standard in PEMFC technology.3,4 Nafion membranes have a polytetrafluoro- ethylene PTFE backbone, which provides thermal and chemical stability, and...diffusion layers to fabricate MEAs. Single-cell test (H- PEMFC ).— MEAs were positioned in a single-cell fixture with graphite blocks as current

Power generation using profiled membranes in reverse electrodialysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermaas, David; Saakes, Michel; Nijmeijer, Dorothea C.

2011-01-01

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a technology to obtain energy from the salinity difference between salt water and fresh water. Traditionally, ion exchange membranes, separated by non-conductive spacers, are used in this technology. As an alternative for these non-conductive spacers, in this work,

Materials and membrane technologies for water and energy sustainability

KAUST Repository

Le, Ngoc Lieu; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

2016-01-01

Water and energy have always been crucial for the world’s social and economic growth. Their supply and use must be sustainable. This review discusses opportunities for membrane technologies in water and energy sustainbility by analyzing their potential applications and current status; providing emerging technologies and scrutinizing research and development challenges for membrane materials in this field.

Materials and membrane technologies for water and energy sustainability

KAUST Repository

Le, Ngoc Lieu

2016-03-10

Water and energy have always been crucial for the world’s social and economic growth. Their supply and use must be sustainable. This review discusses opportunities for membrane technologies in water and energy sustainbility by analyzing their potential applications and current status; providing emerging technologies and scrutinizing research and development challenges for membrane materials in this field.

Reactive membrane technology: Two case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeuner, Birgitte; Luo, Jianquan; Pinelo, Manuel

2014-01-01

investigated the effect of applied pressure, enzyme concentration, pH, and membrane properties on fouling-induced enzyme immobilization. In another study, the production of the human milk oligosaccharide 3’-sialyllactose by an engineered sialidase from Trypanosoma rangeli (Tr6) was significantly improved......Enzymatic processes are generally sustainable processes that use mild conditions and natural substrates. Membrane technology can be employed for enzyme immobilization as well as for recycling free enzymes. Using alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as part of a process to recycle CO2 to methanol, we...... in an enzymatic membrane reactor. The entire process can be improved by employing a series of ultra- and nanofiltrations....

Grafting of glycidyl methacrylate/styrene onto polyvinyldine fluoride membranes for proton exchange fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Hady, E.E.; El-Toony, M.M.; Abdel-Hamed, M.O.

2013-01-01

Simultaneous gamma irradiation was used effectively for grafting facilitation of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and styrene (Sty) onto polyvinylidine fluoride (PVDF). Grafting percent was 122 when monomers ratio are 30% Sty and 70% GMA at 20 KGy gamma irradiation dose. Characterization of the membrane was performed using FT-IR, ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake. Mechanical behavior such as tensile strength was studied while morphological structure of the membrane was carried out by scan electron microscope (SEM). The membrane with degree of grafting 122% showed higher IEC (1.2 m mol/cm) than those of Nafion membrane with corresponding proton conductivity of 5.7 × 10 −2 S/cm similar to it. Operating the fuel cell unit showed higher voltage of the prepared membranes than that of Nafion 211. The prepared membranes stability for 300 h work approved their applicability from the cost benefit point of view

Development and testing of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) for stationary generation; Desenvolvimento e ensaios de uma celula a combustivel de polimero solido (PEMFC) para geracao estacionaria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellern, Mara; Boccuzzi, Cyro Vicente [ELETROPAULO, Sao Caetano, SP (Brazil)], e-mail: mara.ellern@aes.com; Ett, Gerhard; Saiki, Gerson Yukio; Janolio, Gilberto [ELECTROCELL, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Jardini, Jose Antonio [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil)

2004-07-01

PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell uses a simple chemical reaction to combine hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electric current in the process. It works something like reversed electrolysis: at the anode, hydrogen molecules give up electrons, forming hydrogen ions (this process is made possible by the platinum catalyst). The proton exchange membrane allows protons to flow through, but not electrons. As a result, the hydrogen ions flow directly through the proton exchange membrane to the cathode, while the electrons flow through an external circuit. As they travel to the cathode through the external circuit, the electrons produce electrical current. At the cathode, the electrons and hydrogen ions combine with oxygen to form water. In a fuel cell, hydrogen's natural tendency to oxidize and form water produces electricity and useful work. No pollution is produced and the only byproducts are water and heat. The huge advance on materials development combined with the growth demand of lower impact on environment is placing the fuel cells on the top of the most promising technologies world-wide. They are becoming in medium term feasible alternatives for energy generators up to energy plants of few MW. (author)

Controlling fuel crossover and hydration in ultrathin proton exchange membrane-based fuel cells using Pt-nanosheet catalysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Rujie; Zhang, Wenjing (Angela); He, Gaohong

2014-01-01

and provided in situ hydration inside Nafion membranes to maintain their proton conductivity level. Furthermore, LDH nanosheets reinforced the Nafion membranes, with 181% improvement in tensile modulus and 166% improvement in yield strength. In a hydrogen fuel cell running with dry fuel, the membrane......An ultra-thin proton exchange membrane with Pt-nanosheet catalysts was designed for a self-humidifying fuel cell running on H2 and O2. In this design, an ultra-thin Nafion membrane was used to reduce ohmic resistance. Pt nanocatalysts were uniformly anchored on exfoliated, layered double hydroxide...

Recyclable cross-linked anion exchange membrane for alkaline fuel cell application

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jianqiu; Liu, Yazhi; Ge, Qianqian; Yang, Zhengjin; Wu, Liang; Xu, Tongwen

2018-01-01

Cross-linking can effectively solve the conductivity-swelling dilemma in anion exchange membranes (AEMs) but will generate solid wastes. To address this, we developed an AEM cross-linked via disulfide bonds, bearing quaternary ammonium groups, which can be easily recycled. The membrane (RC-QPPO) with IEC of 1.78 mmol g-1, when cross-linked, showed enhanced mechanical properties and good hydroxide conductivity (24.6 mS cm-1 at 30 °C). Even at higher IEC value (2.13 mmol g-1), it still has low water uptake, low swelling ratio and delivers a peak power density of 150 mW cm-2 at 65 °C. Exploiting the formation of disulfide bonds from -SH groups, the membrane can be readily cross-linked in alkaline condition and recycled by reversibly breaking disulfide bonds with dithiothreitol (DTT). The recycled membrane solution can be directly utilized to cast a brand-new AEM. By washing away the residual DTT with water and exposure to air, it can be cross-linked again and this process is repeatable. During the recycling and cross-linking processes, the membrane showed a slight IEC decrease of 5% due to functional group degradation. The strategy presented here is promising in enhancing AEM properties and reducing the impact of artificial polymers on the environment.

Exfoliated MoS₂ nanosheets loaded on bipolar exchange membranes interfaces as advanced catalysts for water dissociation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Jian; Morthensen, Sofie Thage; Zhu, Junyong

2018-01-01

. Bipolar membranes are key factors for splitting water at the interface of a cation and anion exchange layer in an electric field. The ideal bipolar membrane should have a low energy consumption, a high current efficiency and long-term stability. In order to investigate the catalytic effect of a monolayer...... this prediction. Furthermore, a bipolar membrane prepared at 90°C had a low swelling ratio of about 7.5% while maintaining a high water uptake of 71.6%. From the calculation of current efficiency and energy consumption, the bipolar membrane with a monolayer of MoS2 has a higher current efficiency (45......%) and a lower energy consumption (3.6 kW/h·kg) compared to a current efficiency of 24% and an energy consumption of 6.3 kW/h·kg for a bipolar membrane without MoS2. This study proves the catalytic function of MoS2, which lays a foundation for further research on catalytic bipolar exchange membranes....

Application of reverse osmosis membrane technology for liquid radioactive waste processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Juan

2010-01-01

Liquid radioactive waste (LRW) processing should bear an acceptable level of residual radioactivity for discharge and meet the request of energy saving and waste minimization. Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology has been developed as a novel process for LRW processing. Five basic operating parameters of flux, recovery factor, rejection factor, concentration factor and decontamination factor were described, and the latter two parameters were the most important. Concentration factor and decontamination factor should be as high as possible and simultaneously the operating cost for membrane filtration should be low. Technical design considerations for membrane process were discussed and optimized from the aspects of pretreatment, membrane module choice and arrangement and membrane clear out. Application and investigation of RO membrane technology for LRW processing were introduced and it should be noted that the RO membrane technology has been introduced into overseas nuclear power plants for LRW processing and interiorly in the stage of investigation. (authors)

The Cdc42 guanine nucleotide exchange factor FGD6 coordinates cell polarity and endosomal membrane recycling in osteoclasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenblock, Charlotte; Heckel, Tobias; Czupalla, Cornelia; Espírito Santo, Ana Isabel; Niehage, Christian; Sztacho, Martin; Hoflack, Bernard

2014-06-27

The initial step of bone digestion is the adhesion of osteoclasts onto bone surfaces and the assembly of podosomal belts that segregate the bone-facing ruffled membrane from other membrane domains. During bone digestion, membrane components of the ruffled border also need to be recycled after macropinocytosis of digested bone materials. How osteoclast polarity and membrane recycling are coordinated remains unknown. Here, we show that the Cdc42-guanine nucleotide exchange factor FGD6 coordinates these events through its Src-dependent interaction with different actin-based protein networks. At the plasma membrane, FGD6 couples cell adhesion and actin dynamics by regulating podosome formation through the assembly of complexes comprising the Cdc42-interactor IQGAP1, the Rho GTPase-activating protein ARHGAP10, and the integrin interactors Talin-1/2 or Filamin A. On endosomes and transcytotic vesicles, FGD6 regulates retromer-dependent membrane recycling through its interaction with the actin nucleation-promoting factor WASH. These results provide a mechanism by which a single Cdc42-exchange factor controlling different actin-based processes coordinates cell adhesion, cell polarity, and membrane recycling during bone degradation. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The importance of OH − transport through anion exchange membrane in microbial electrolysis cells

KAUST Repository

Ye, Yaoli; Logan, Bruce

2018-01-01

In two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) with anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) is typically used to avoid increases in catholyte pH as Nernst equation calculations indicate that high pHs adversely impact

Anion-exchange membranes derived from quaternized polysulfone and exfoliated layered double hydroxide for fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wan; Liang, Na; Peng, Pai; Qu, Rong; Chen, Dongzhi; Zhang, Hongwei, E-mail: hanqiujiang@163.com

2017-02-15

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are prepared by controlling urea assisted homogeneous precipitation conditions. Morphology and crystallinity of LDHs are confirmed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. After LDHs are incorporated into quaternized polysulfone membranes, transmission electron microscope is used to observe the exfoliated morphology of LDH sheets in the membranes. The properties of the nanocomposite membranes, including water uptake, swelling ratio, mechanical property and ionic conductivity are investigated. The nanocomposite membrane containing 5% LDH sheets shows more balanced performances, exhibiting an ionic conductivity of 2.36×10{sup −2} S cm{sup −1} at 60 °C. - Graphical abstract: Anion-exchange membrane based on quaternized polysulfone and exfoliated layered double hydroxide is optically transparent and has good ionic properties.

Poly(vinylbenzylchloride) Based Anion-Exchange Blend Membranes (AEBMs): Influence of PEG Additive on Conductivity and Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerres, Jochen A; Krieg, Henning M

2017-06-16

In view of the many possible applications such as fuel cells and electrolysers, recent interest in novel anion exchange membranes (AEMs) has increased significantly. However, their low conductivity and chemical stability limits their current suitability. In this study, the synthesis and characterization of several three- and four-component anion exchange blend membranes (AEBMs) is described, where the compositions have been systematically varied to study the influence of the AEBM's composition on the anion conductivities as well as chemical and thermal stabilities under strongly alkaline conditions. It was shown that the epoxide-functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)s that were introduced into the four-component AEBMs resulted in increased conductivity as well as a marked improvement in the stability of the AEBMs in an alkaline environment. In addition, the thermal stability of the novel AEBMs was excellent showing the suitability of these membranes for several electrochemical applications.

A Review on Cold Start of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongmin Wan

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Successful and rapid startup of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs at subfreezing temperatures (also called cold start is of great importance for their commercialization in automotive and portable devices. In order to maintain good proton conductivity, the water content in the membrane must be kept at a certain level to ensure that the membrane remains fully hydrated. However, the water in the pores of the catalyst layer (CL, gas diffusion layer (GDL and the membrane may freeze once the cell temperature decreases below the freezing point (Tf. Thus, methods which could enable the fuel cell startup without or with slight performance degradation at subfreezing temperature need to be studied. This paper presents an extensive review on cold start of PEMFCs, including the state and phase changes of water in PEMFCs, impacts of water freezing on PEMFCs, numerical and experimental studies on PEMFCs, and cold start strategies. The impacts on each component of the fuel cell are discussed in detail. Related numerical and experimental work is also discussed. It should be mentioned that the cold start strategies, especially the enumerated patents, are of great reference value on the practical cold start process.

Experimental study of commercial size proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Wei-Mon; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Lee, Duu-Jong; Zhang, Xin-Xin; Guo, Yi-Fan; Su, Ay

2011-01-01

Commercial sized (16 x 16 cm 2 active surface area) proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells with serpentine flow chambers are fabricated. The GORE-TEX (registered) PRIMEA 5621 was used with a 35-μm-thick PEM with an anode catalyst layer with 0.45 mg cm -2 Pt and cathode catalyst layer with 0.6 mg cm -2 Pt and Ru or GORE-TEX (registered) PRIMEA 57 was used with an 18-μm-thick PEM with an anode catalyst layer at 0.2 mg cm -2 Pt and cathode catalyst layer at 0.4 mg cm -2 of Pt and Ru. At the specified cell and humidification temperatures, the thin PRIMEA 57 membrane yields better cell performance than the thick PRIMEA 5621 membrane, since hydration of the former is more easily maintained with the limited amount of produced water. Sufficient humidification at both the cathode and anode sides is essential to achieve high cell performance with a thick membrane, like the PRIMEA 5621. The optimal cell temperature to produce the best cell performance with PRIMEA 5621 is close to the humidification temperature. For PRIMEA 57, however, optimal cell temperature exceeds the humidification temperature.

Smart coating process of proton-exchange membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leu, Hoang-Jyh; Chiu, Kuo-Feng; Lin, Chiu-Yue

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Using oxygen plasma and smart coating technique for membrane modification. ► Oxygen plasma treatment can increase the reaction area of the membrane. ► AFM, SEM, FT-IR, XPS, EIS spectra can prove the surface treatment process. ► Nafion membrane modification can reduce Rct and enhance current density. - Abstract: The interfaces of electrolyte|catalyst|electrode play an important role in the performance of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Increasing the interface effective area and lowering the charge transfer resistance of the interface are significant issues to promote the cell performance. In this study, oxygen plasma treatment was used to increase the surface roughness of Nafion®117 membrane, and then a smart coating process was applied to fabricate the initial Pt/C catalyst layer, which served to reduce the charge transfer resistance of the interface. The morphology and surface characteristics of membranes have been qualified by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These results show that the plasma treatments and smart coating processes were effective in reducing the interface charge transfer resistance. At optimal condition, the interface charge transfer resistance was 0.45 Ω/cm 2 which was 1–2 order less than the untreated ones

Overview of technologies to reprocess ion-exchange resins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavrish, V.M.; Chernikova, N.P.; Ivanets, V.G.

2010-01-01

The article deals with overview of technologies for reprocessing of ion-exchange resins and determining the most optimal solutions for Ukraine. The technologies for cementations, thermal reprocessing, bituminization and deep decontamination are considered.

Electro-oxidation of methanol diffused through proton exchange membrane on Pt surface: crossover rate of methanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Inhwa; Kim, Doyeon; Yun, Yongsik; Chung, Suengyoung; Lee, Jaeyoung; Tak, Yongsug

2004-01-01

Methanol crossover rate through proton exchange membrane (Nafion 117) was investigated with a newly designed electrochemical stripping cell. Nanosize Pt electrode was prepared by the electroless deposition. Distinct electrocatalytic oxidation behaviors of methanol inside membrane were similar to the methanol oxidation in aqueous electrolyte, except adsorption/desorption of hydrogen. The amount of methanol diffused through membrane was calculated from the charge of methanol oxidation during repetitive cyclic voltammetry (CV) and methanol crossover rate was estimated to be 0.69 nmol/s

Analysis and optimization of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell using modeling techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torre Valdés, Ing. Raciel de la; García Parra, MSc. Lázaro Roger; González Rodríguez, MSc. Daniel

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a three-dimensional, non-isothermal and steady-state model of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell using Computational Fluid Dynamic techniques, specifically ANSYS FLUENT 14.5. It's considered multicomponent diffusion and two-phasic flow. The model was compared with experimental published data and with another model. The operation parameters: reactants pressure and temperature, gases flow direction, gas diffusion layer and catalyst layer porosity, reactants humidification and oxygen concentration are analyzed. The model allows the fuel cell design optimization taking in consideration the channels dimensions, the channels length and the membrane thickness. Furthermore, fuel cell performance is analyzed working with SPEEK membrane, an alternative electrolyte to Nafion. In order to carry on membrane material study, it's necessary to modify the expression that describes the electrolyte ionic conductivity. It's found that the device performance has got a great sensibility to pressure, temperature, reactant humidification and oxygen concentration variations. (author)

Steady state and transient simulation of anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dekel, Dario R.; Rasin, Igal G.; Page, Miles; Brandon, Simon

2018-01-01

We present a new model for anion exchange membrane fuel cells. Validation against experimental polarization curve data is obtained for current densities ranging from zero to above 2 A cm-2. Experimental transient data is also successfully reproduced. The model is very flexible and can be used to explore the system's sensitivity to a wide range of material properties, cell design specifications, and operating parameters. We demonstrate the impact of gas inlet relative humidity (RH), operating current density, ionomer loading and ionomer ion exchange capacity (IEC) values on cell performance. In agreement with the literature, high air RH levels are shown to improve cell performance. At high current densities (>1 A cm-2) this effect is observed to be especially significant. Simulated hydration number distributions across the cell reveal the related critical dependence of cathode hydration on air RH and current density values. When exploring catalyst layer design, optimal intermediate ionomer loading values are demonstrated. The benefits of asymmetric (cathode versus anode) electrode design are revealed, showing enhanced performance using higher cathode IEC levels. Finally, electrochemical reaction profiles across the electrodes uncover inhomogeneous catalyst utilization. Specifically, at high current densities the cathodic reaction is confined to a narrow region near the membrane.

Review of low pressure plasma processing of proton exchange membrane fuel cell electrocatalysts

OpenAIRE

Brault , Pascal

2016-01-01

Review article; International audience; The present review is describing recent advances in plasma deposition and treatment of low temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells electrocatalysts. Interest of plasma processing for growth of platinum based, non-precious and metal free electrocatalysts is highlighted. Electrocatalysts properties are tentatively correlated to plasma parameters.

Multiphase Simulations and Design of Validation Experiments for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berning, Torsten

2013-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells directly convert into electricity the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen from air. The by-products are just water and waste heat. Depending on the operating conditions the water may be in the liquid or gas phase, and liquid water can hence plug the porous m...

A New Hybrid Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cells-Battery Power System with Efficiencies Considered

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Chung-Hsing; Shieh, Jenn-Jong

Hybrid systems, based on lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries and proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), give the possibility of combining the benefit of both technologies. The merits of high energy density and power density for different applications are discussed in this paper in recognition of the practical realization of such hybrid power systems. Furthermore, experimental data for such a hybrid system is described and the results are shown and discussed. The results show that the combination of lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries and PEMFCs shows advantages in cases of applications with high peak power requirements, such as electric scooters and applications where the fuel cell (FC) is used as an auxiliary power-supply to recharge the battery. The high efficiency of FCs operating with a partial load results in a good fuel economy for the purpose of recharging batteries within a FC system.

Low stoichiometry operation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell employing the interdigitated flow field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berning, Torsten; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2012-01-01

A multiphase fuel cell model based on computational fluid dynamics is used to investigate the possibility of operating a proton exchange membrane fuel cell at low stoichiometric flow ratios (ξ gases. A case study...

Preparation of silica nanocomposite anion-exchange membranes with low vanadium-ion crossover for vanadium redox flow batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, P.K.; Xu, Q.; Zhao, T.S.; Zeng, L.; Zhang, C.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The permeability of vanadium ions through the silica nanocomposite AEM (SNAEM) is ten times lower than that for Nafion 115. • The rates of self-discharge and capacity fading of the VRFB are substantially reduced with the use of the SNAEM. • The Coulombic and energy efficiencies are as high as 92% and 73%, respectively, at 40 mA cm −2 . -- Abstract: Crossover of vanadium ions through the membranes of all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) is an issue that limits the performance of this type of flow battery. This paper reports on the preparation of a sol–gel derived silica nanocomposite anion exchange membrane (AEM) for VRFBs. The EDS and FT-IR characterizations confirm the presence and the uniformity of the silica nanoparticles formed in the membrane via an in situ sol–gel process. The properties of the obtained membrane, including the ion-exchange capacity, the area resistance, and the water uptake, are evaluated and compared to the pristine AEM and the Nafion cation exchange membrane (CEM). The experimental results show that the permeability of the vanadium ions through the silica nanocomposite AEM is about 20% lower than that of the pristine AEM, and one order of magnitude lower than that of the Nafion CEM. As a result, the rates of self-discharge and the capacity fading of the VRFB are substantially reduced. The Coulombic and energy efficiencies at a current density of 40 mA cm −2 are, respectively, as high as 92% and 73%

An Investigation of Proton Conductivity of Vinyltriazole-Grafted PVDF Proton Exchange Membranes Prepared via Photoinduced Grafting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sinan Sezgin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs are considered to be a promising technology for clean and efficient power generation in the twenty-first century. In this study, high performance of poly(vinylidene fluoride (PVDF and proton conductivity of poly(1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole (PVTri were combined in a graft copolymer, PVDF-g-PVTri, by the polymerization of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole on a PVDF based matrix under UV light in one step. The polymers were doped with triflic acid (TA at different stoichiometric ratios with respect to triazole units and the anhydrous polymer electrolyte membranes were prepared. All samples were characterized by FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopies. Their thermal properties were examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC. TGA demonstrated that the PVDF-g-PVTri and PVDF-g-PVTri-(TAx membranes were thermally stable up to 390°C and 330°C, respectively. NMR and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS results demonstrated that PVDF-g-PVTri was successfully synthesized with a degree of grafting of 21%. PVDF-g-PVTri-(TA3 showed a maximum proton conductivity of 6×10-3 Scm−1 at 150°C and anhydrous conditions. CV study illustrated that electrochemical stability domain for PVDF-g-PVTri-(TA3 extended over 4.0 V.

Mechanical Characterization of Anion Exchange Membranes Under Controlled Environmental Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-11

little market penetration has been achieved. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells ( PEMFC ) have struggled primarily due to high cost, driven by the use...and requirements for Pt, Pt-alloy, and non-Pt oxygen reduction catalysts for PEMFCs , Appl. Catal. B Environ. 56 (2005) 9–35. doi:10.1016/j.apcatb...resins for PEMFCs , Electrochim. Acta. 50 (2004) 571–575. doi:10.1016/j.electacta.2004.01.133. [89] S. Bhadra, N.H. Kim, J.S. Choi, K.Y. Rhee, J.H. Lee

Effect of sintering temperature on the morphology and mechanical properties of PTFE membranes as a base substrate for proton exchange membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nor Aida Zubir

2002-11-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the development of PTFE membranes as the base substrates for producing proton exchange membrane by using radiation-grafting technique. An aqueous dispersion of PTFE, which includes sodium benzoate, is cast in order to form suitable membranes. The casting was done by usinga pneumatically controlled flat sheet membrane-casting machine. The membrane is then sintered to fuse the polymer particles and cooled. After cooling process, the salt crystals are leached from the membrane by dissolution in hot bath to leave a microporous structure, which is suitable for such uses as a filtration membrane or as a base substrate for radiation grafted membrane in PEMFC. The effects of sintering temperature on the membrane morphology and tensile strength were investigated at 350oC and 385oC by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM and EX 20, respectively. The pore size and total void space are significantly smaller at higher sintering temperature employed with an average pore diameter of 11.78 nm. The tensile strength and tensile strain of sintered PTFE membrane at 385oC are approximately 19.02 + 1.46 MPa and 351.04 + 23.13 %, respectively. These results were indicated at 385oC, which represents significant improvements in tensile strength and tensile strain, which are nearly twice those at 350oC.

Water and chemical savings in cooling towers by using membrane capacitive deionization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limpt, van B.; Wal, van der A.

2014-01-01

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is a water desalination technology based on applying a voltage difference between two oppositely placed porous carbon electrodes. In front of each electrode, an ion exchange membrane is positioned, and between them, a spacer is situated, which transports the

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell operation and degradation in short-circuit.

OpenAIRE

Silva , R.E.; Harel , F.; Jemei , S.; Gouriveau , Rafael; Hissel , Daniel; Boulon , L.; Agbossou , K.

2013-01-01

International audience; Hybridization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and ultra capacitors (UC) are considered as an alternative way to implement high autonomy, high dynamic, and reversible energy sources. PEMFC allow high efficiency and high autonomy, however their dynamic response is limited and this source does not allow recovering energy. UC appears to be a complementary source to fuel cell systems (FCS) due to their high power density, fast dynamics, and reversibility. A d...

Membrane technology revolutionizes water treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilderer, P A; Paris, S

2007-01-01

Membranes play a crucial role in living cells, plants and animals. They not only serve as barriers between the inside and outside world of cells and organs. More importantly, they are means of selective transport of materials and host for biochemical conversion. Natural membrane systems have demonstrated efficiency and reliability for millions of years and it is remarkable that most of these systems are small, efficient and highly reliable even under rapidly changing ambient conditions. Thus, it appears to be advisable for technology developers to keep a close eye on Mother Nature. By doing so it is most likely that ideas for novel technical solutions are born. Following the concept of natural systems it is hypothesized that the Millennium Development Goals can be best met when counting on small water and wastewater treatment systems. The core of such systems could be membranes in which chemical reactions are integrated allowing recovery and direct utilization of valuable substances.

State of the art of membrane technology for treatment of natural gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donno, S. De

1997-11-01

This topic has been selected in accordance with a general interest expressed by the Gas Industry. Membranes technology is achieving industrial success in many operations for selective fluids separation. In the specific area of natural gas treatment, membranes are viewed as a technological breakthrough in the coming years despite the fact that the real entity of their potential advantage on conventional technologies has still to be clarified. Aim of this report has been an overview of the overall potentiality and present limits of the use of membranes in natural gas treatment with emphasis on requirements and conditions which could enable established applications of membranes in short to medium terms. This Committee report is based on recent literature and on the opinions of gas companies active and/or interest in technology development of membranes for naturla gas. (au) 27 refs.

Compact heat exchanger technologies for the HTRs recuperator application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thonon, B.; Breuil, E.

2001-01-01

Modern HTR nuclear power plants which are now under development (projects GT-MHR, PBMR) are based on the direct cycle concept. This concept leads to a more important efficiency compared to the steam cycle but requires the use of high performance components such as an helium/helium heat exchanger called recuperator to guarantee the cycle efficiency. Using this concept, a net plant efficiency of around 50% can be achieved in the case of an electricity generating plant. As geometric constraints are particularly important for such a gas reactor to limit the size of the primary vessels, compact heat exchangers operating at high pressure and high temperature are attractive potential solutions for the recuperator application. In this frame, Framatome and CEA have reviewed the various technologies of compact heat exchangers used in industry. The first part of the paper will give a short description of the heat exchangers technologies and their ranges of application. In a second part, a selection of potential compact heat exchangers technologies are proposed for the recuperator application. This selection will be based upon their capabilities to cope with the operating conditions parameters (pressure, temperature, flow rate) and with other parameters such as fouling, corrosion, compactness, weight, maintenance and reliability. (author)

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation: Membrane Fouling.

Science.gov (United States)

Iorhemen, Oliver Terna; Hamza, Rania Ahmed; Tay, Joo Hwa

2016-06-15

The membrane bioreactor (MBR) has emerged as an efficient compact technology for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. The major drawback impeding wider application of MBRs is membrane fouling, which significantly reduces membrane performance and lifespan, resulting in a significant increase in maintenance and operating costs. Finding sustainable membrane fouling mitigation strategies in MBRs has been one of the main concerns over the last two decades. This paper provides an overview of membrane fouling and studies conducted to identify mitigating strategies for fouling in MBRs. Classes of foulants, including biofoulants, organic foulants and inorganic foulants, as well as factors influencing membrane fouling are outlined. Recent research attempts on fouling control, including addition of coagulants and adsorbents, combination of aerobic granulation with MBRs, introduction of granular materials with air scouring in the MBR tank, and quorum quenching are presented. The addition of coagulants and adsorbents shows a significant membrane fouling reduction, but further research is needed to establish optimum dosages of the various coagulants/adsorbents. Similarly, the integration of aerobic granulation with MBRs, which targets biofoulants and organic foulants, shows outstanding filtration performance and a significant reduction in fouling rate, as well as excellent nutrients removal. However, further research is needed on the enhancement of long-term granule integrity. Quorum quenching also offers a strong potential for fouling control, but pilot-scale testing is required to explore the feasibility of full-scale application.

Highly porous polytriazole ion exchange membranes cast from solutions in non-toxic cosolvents

KAUST Repository

Chisca, Stefan

2017-04-04

The development of highly functionalized porous materials for protein separation is important for biotech processes. We report the preparation of highly porous polytriazole with sulfonic acid functionalization. The resulting ion exchange membranes are selective for protein adsorption. The starting material was a hydroxyl-functionalized polytriazole, which is an advantageous platform for further modification. The polymer was dissolved in a mixture of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim]OAc) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC), which can be both considered green solvents. The polymer solubilization was only possible due to an interesting effect of cosolvency, which is discussed, based in phase diagrams. Membranes were prepared by solution casting, followed by immersion in a non-solvent bath. We then grafted sulfone groups on the membranes, by reacting the hydroxyl groups with 1,3-propane sultone and 1,4-butane sultone. Lysozyme adsorption was successfully evaluated. Membranes modified with 1,4-butane sultone adsorbed more protein than those with 1,3-propane sultone.

Synthesis of ion exchange membrane by radiation grafting of acrylic acid onto polyethylene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishigaki, I.; Sugo, T.; Senoo, K.; Takayama, T.; Machi, S.; Okamoto, J.; Okada, T.

1981-01-01

Radiation grafting of vinyl monomers onto polymer films has been extensively studied by many workers. In the preirradiation method of grafting a polymer substrate is activated by irradiation (either in the presence or absence of oxygen) and subsequently allowed to react with a monomer. The preirradiation method was utilized in this study to synthesize an ion exchange membrane useful for a battery separator by grafting acrylic acid onto polyethylene film. The battery separator should be chemically and thermally stable, sufficiently durable in electrolyte as well as highly electrically conductive. Membranes made from regenerated cellulose, e.g., cellophane, have long been used as a separator in the batteries with alkaline electrolyte, such as silver oxide primary cell. However, it has poor durability, as short as one year, due to breakdown of the membrane during operation or storing. The acrylic acid-grafted polyethylene film was found to be quite useful for a separator in the alkaline batteries. This membrane has a high electric conductivity and an excellent durability. (author)

Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Powerplants Developed and Tested for Exploration Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Hoberecht, Mark A.; Pham, Nang T.

2005-01-01

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology has received major attention for terrestrial applications, such as the automotive and residential markets, for the past 20 years. This attention has significantly advanced the maturity of the technology, resulting in ever more compact, efficient, reliable, and inexpensive PEMFC designs. In comparison to the terrestrial operating environment, the space operating environment is much more demanding. Microgravity to high-gravity loads and the need to use pure oxygen (rather than air) as the fuel cell oxidizer place more stringent demands on PEMFC technology. NASA and its partners from industry are leveraging terrestrial PEMFC advancements by conducting parallel space technology development for future exploration missions. A team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, and NASA Kennedy Space Center recently completed the first phase of a PEMFC powerplant development effort for exploration missions. The industry partners for this phase of the development effort were ElectroChem, Inc., and Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc. Under contract to Glenn, both of these industry partners successfully designed, fabricated, and tested a breadboard PEMFC powerplant in the 1- to 5-kW power range. These powerplants were based on existing company-proprietary fuel cell stack designs, combined with off-the-shelf components, which formed the balance of the powerplant design. Subsequent to the contractor development efforts, both powerplants were independently tested at Johnson to verify operational and performance characteristics, and to determine suitability for further technology development in the second phase of the NASA-led effort. Following the independent NASA testing, Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., was selected to develop an engineering model PEMFC powerplant. This effort was initiated by the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program Office in 2001; it transitioned to the Next Generation Launch

Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cell Powerplants Developed and Tested for Exploration Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Hoberecht, Mark A.; Pham, Nang T.

2005-06-01

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology has received major attention for terrestrial applications, such as the automotive and residential markets, for the past 20 years. This attention has significantly advanced the maturity of the technology, resulting in ever more compact, efficient, reliable, and inexpensive PEMFC designs. In comparison to the terrestrial operating environment, the space operating environment is much more demanding. Microgravity to high-gravity loads and the need to use pure oxygen (rather than air) as the fuel cell oxidizer place more stringent demands on PEMFC technology. NASA and its partners from industry are leveraging terrestrial PEMFC advancements by conducting parallel space technology development for future exploration missions. A team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, and NASA Kennedy Space Center recently completed the first phase of a PEMFC powerplant development effort for exploration missions. The industry partners for this phase of the development effort were ElectroChem, Inc., and Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc. Under contract to Glenn, both of these industry partners successfully designed, fabricated, and tested a breadboard PEMFC powerplant in the 1- to 5-kW power range. These powerplants were based on existing company-proprietary fuel cell stack designs, combined with off-the-shelf components, which formed the balance of the powerplant design. Subsequent to the contractor development efforts, both powerplants were independently tested at Johnson to verify operational and performance characteristics, and to determine suitability for further technology development in the second phase of the NASA-led effort. Following the independent NASA testing, Teledyne Energy Systems, Inc., was selected to develop an engineering model PEMFC powerplant. This effort was initiated by the 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Program Office in 2001; it transitioned to the Next Generation Launch

Efficient separations and processing crosscutting program 1996 technical exchange meeting. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-02-01

This document contains summaries of technology development presented at the 1996 Efficient Separations and Processing Crosscutting Program Technical Exchange Meeting. This meeting is held annually to promote a free exchange of ideas among technology developers, potential users and other interested parties within the EM community. During this meeting the following many separation processes technologies were discussed such as ion exchange, membrane separation, vacuum distillation, selective sorption, and solvent extraction. Other topics discussed include: waste forms; testing or inorganic sorbents for radionuclide and heavy metal removal; selective crystallization; and electrochemical treatment of liquid wastes. This is the leading abstract, individual papers have been indexed separately for the databases.

Efficient separations and processing crosscutting program 1996 technical exchange meeting. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

This document contains summaries of technology development presented at the 1996 Efficient Separations and Processing Crosscutting Program Technical Exchange Meeting. This meeting is held annually to promote a free exchange of ideas among technology developers, potential users and other interested parties within the EM community. During this meeting the following many separation processes technologies were discussed such as ion exchange, membrane separation, vacuum distillation, selective sorption, and solvent extraction. Other topics discussed include: waste forms; testing or inorganic sorbents for radionuclide and heavy metal removal; selective crystallization; and electrochemical treatment of liquid wastes. This is the leading abstract, individual papers have been indexed separately for the databases

Microbial desalination cell with sulfonated sodium poly(ether ether ketone) as cation exchange membranes for enhancing power generation and salt reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Moruno, Francisco Lopez; Rubio, Juan E; Atanassov, Plamen; Cerrato, José M; Arges, Christopher G; Santoro, Carlo

2018-06-01

Microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a bioelectrochemical system capable of oxidizing organics, generating electricity, while reducing the salinity content of brine streams. As it is designed, anion and cation exchange membranes play an important role on the selective removal of ions from the desalination chamber. In this work, sulfonated sodium (Na + ) poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) cation exchange membranes (CEM) were tested in combination with quaternary ammonium chloride poly(2,6-dimethyl 1,4-phenylene oxide) (QAPPO) anion exchange membrane (AEM). Non-patterned and patterned (varying topographical features) CEMs were investigated and assessed in this work. The results were contrasted against a commercially available CEM. This work used real seawater from the Pacific Ocean in the desalination chamber. The results displayed a high desalination rate and power generation for all the membranes, with a maximum of 78.6±2.0% in salinity reduction and 235±7mWm -2 in power generation for the MDCs with the SPEEK CEM. Desalination rate and power generation achieved are higher with synthesized SPEEK membranes when compared with an available commercial CEM. An optimized combination of these types of membranes substantially improves the performances of MDC, making the system more suitable for real applications. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quaternized adamantane-containing poly(aryl ether ketone) anion exchange membranes for vanadium redox flow battery applications

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bengui; Zhang, Shouhai; Weng, Zhihuan; Wang, Guosheng; Zhang, Enlei; Yu, Ping; Chen, Xiaomeng; Wang, Xinwei

2016-09-01

Quaternized adamantane-containing poly(aryl ether ketone) anion exchange membranes (QADMPEK) are prepared and investigated for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) application. The bulky, rigid and highly hydrophobic adamantane segment incorporated into the backbone of membrane material makes QADMPEK membranes have low water uptake and swelling ratio, and the as-prepared membranes display significantly lower permeability of vanadium ions than that of Nafion117 membrane. As a consequence, the VRFB cell with QADMPEK-3 membrane shows higher coulombic efficiency (99.4%) and energy efficiency (84.0%) than those for Nafion117 membrane (95.2% and 80.5%, respectively) at the current density of 80 mA cm-2. Furthermore, at a much higher current density of 140 mA cm-2, QADMPEK membrane still exhibits better coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency than Nafion117 membrane (coulombic efficiency 99.2% vs 96.5% and energy efficiency 76.0% vs 74.0%). Moreover, QADMPEK membranes show high stability in in-situ VRFB cycle test and ex-situ oxidation stability test. These results indicate that QADMPEK membranes are good candidates for VRFB applications.

Radiation induced grafting of tetrafluoroethylene on Nafion Films for ion exchange membrane application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geraldes, Adriana Napoleao; Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da; Ferreto, Helio Fernando Rodrigues; Souza, Camila Pinheiro; Parra, Duclerc Fernandes; Lugao, Ademar Benevolo

2011-01-01

Grafting of TFE nanocomposites onto Nafion was studied for synthesis of ion exchange membranes. Radiation-induced grafting of TFE gas onto Nafion films was investigated after simultaneous irradiation using a 60 Co source. The thermal degradation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) waste has been used for production of TFE. Nafion films were irradiated at 15 kGy dose at room temperature and chemical changes were monitored after contact with TFE gas for grafting. The modified films were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Characterization by XRD suggests crystallinity changes after TFE grafting. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of membranes was determined by acid-base titration and the values for modified films were achieved similar to Nafion pristine films. DSC measurements revealed a displacement in the endothermic peaks and it was probably associated with the TFE graft. The graft forces the Nafion polymer chains to re-organize themselves and form a more cross-linked structure within the clusters. (author)

Radiation induced grafting of tetrafluoroethylene on Nafion Films for ion exchange membrane application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geraldes, Adriana Napoleao; Silva, Dionisio Furtunato da; Ferreto, Helio Fernando Rodrigues; Souza, Camila Pinheiro; Parra, Duclerc Fernandes; Lugao, Ademar Benevolo [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Grafting of TFE nanocomposites onto Nafion was studied for synthesis of ion exchange membranes. Radiation-induced grafting of TFE gas onto Nafion films was investigated after simultaneous irradiation using a {sup 60}Co source. The thermal degradation of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) waste has been used for production of TFE. Nafion films were irradiated at 15 kGy dose at room temperature and chemical changes were monitored after contact with TFE gas for grafting. The modified films were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Characterization by XRD suggests crystallinity changes after TFE grafting. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of membranes was determined by acid-base titration and the values for modified films were achieved similar to Nafion pristine films. DSC measurements revealed a displacement in the endothermic peaks and it was probably associated with the TFE graft. The graft forces the Nafion polymer chains to re-organize themselves and form a more cross-linked structure within the clusters. (author)

Comparison of platinum/MWCNTs Nanocatalysts Synthesis Processes for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xuan

Due to the growing concerns on the depletion of petroleum based energy resources and climate change; fuel cell technologies have received much attention in recent years. Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFCs) features high energy conversion efficiency and nearly zero greenhouse gas emissions, because of its combination of the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) at anode side and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at cathode side. Synthesis of Pt nanoparticles supported on multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) possess a highly durable electrochemical surface area (ESA) and show good power output on proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell performance. Platinum on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) support were synthesized by two different processes to transfer PtCl62- from aqueous to organic phase. While the first method of Pt/MWCNTs synthesis involved dodecane thiol (DDT) and octadecane thiol (ODT) as anchoring agent, the second method used ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) as the dispersion/anchoring agent. The particle size and distribution of platinum were examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The TEM images showed homogenous distribution and uniform particle size of platinum deposited on the surface of MWCNTs. The single cell fuel cell performance of the Pt/MWCNTs synthesized thiols and ALS based electrode containing 0.2 (anode) and 0.4 mg (cathode) Pt.cm-2 were evaluated using Nafion-212 electrolyte with H2 and O2 gases at 80 °C and ambient pressure. The catalyst synthesis with ALS is relatively simple compared to that with thiols and also showed higher performance (power density reaches about 1070 mW.cm -2). The Electrodes with Pt/MWCNTs nanocatalysts synthesized using ALS were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) for durability evaluation using humidified H2 and N2 gases at room temperature (21 °C) along with commercial Pt/C for comparison. The ESA measured by cyclic voltammetry between 0.15 and 1.2 V showed significant

Membrane Technology for the Recovery of Lignin: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Humpert

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Utilization of renewable resources is becoming increasingly important, and only sustainable processes that convert such resources into useful products can achieve environmentally beneficial economic growth. Wastewater from the pulp and paper industry is an unutilized resource offering the potential to recover valuable products such as lignin, pigments, and water [1]. The recovery of lignin is particularly important because it has many applications, and membrane technology has been investigated as the basis of innovative recovery solutions. The concentration of lignin can be increased from 62 to 285 g∙L−1 using membranes and the recovered lignin is extremely pure. Membrane technology is also scalable and adaptable to different waste liquors from the pulp and paper industry.

Membrane Technology for the Recovery of Lignin: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Humpert, Daniel; Ebrahimi, Mehrdad; Czermak, Peter

2016-01-01

Utilization of renewable resources is becoming increasingly important, and only sustainable processes that convert such resources into useful products can achieve environmentally beneficial economic growth. Wastewater from the pulp and paper industry is an unutilized resource offering the potential to recover valuable products such as lignin, pigments, and water [1]. The recovery of lignin is particularly important because it has many applications, and membrane technology has been investigated as the basis of innovative recovery solutions. The concentration of lignin can be increased from 62 to 285 g∙L−1 using membranes and the recovered lignin is extremely pure. Membrane technology is also scalable and adaptable to different waste liquors from the pulp and paper industry. PMID:27608047

Novel proton exchange membranes based on structure-optimized poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s and nanocrystalline cellulose

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Chuangjiang; Wei, Yingcong; Zhao, Qi; Liu, Baijun; Sun, Zhaoyan; Gu, Yan; Zhang, Mingyao; Hu, Wei

2018-03-01

Two sulfonated fluorenyl-containing poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s (SFPEEKKs) were synthesized as the matrix of composite proton exchange membranes by directly sulfonating copolymer precursors comprising non-sulfonatable fluorinated segments and sulfonatable fluorenyl-containing segments. Surface-modified nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was produced as the "performance-enhancing" filler by treating the microcrystalline cellulose with acid. Two families of SFPEEKK/NCC nanocomposite membranes with various NCC contents were prepared via a solution-casting procedure. Results revealed that the insertion of NCC at a suitable ratio could greatly enhance the proton conductivity of the pristine membranes. For example, the proton conductivity of SFPEEKK-60/NCC-4 (SFPEEKK with 60% fluorenyl segments in the repeating unit, and inserted with 4% NCC) composite membrane was as high as 0.245 S cm-1 at 90 °C, which was 61.2% higher than that of the corresponding pure SFPEEKK-60 membrane. This effect could be attributed to the formation of hydrogen bond networks and proton conduction paths through the interaction between -SO3H/-OH groups on the surface of NCC particles and -SO3H groups on the SFPEEKK backbones. Furthermore, the chemically modified NCC filler and the optimized chemical structure of the SFPEEKK matrix also provided good dimensional stability and mechanical properties of the obtained nanocomposites. In conclusion, these novel nanocomposites can be promising proton exchange membranes for fuel cells at moderate temperatures.

Safety technology for air-cooled heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawai, Masafumi; Miyamoto, Hitoshi

2011-01-01

The air-cooled heat exchanger is a device that enables a large amount of heat exchange (cooling) by utilizing the atmosphere as a stable and infinite heat sink. It is widely used in general industrial plants, and nowadays it is also utilized in nuclear facilities. This type of exchanger is advantageous in that it can be constructed in any location without having to be near the sea or rivers. It can be operated safely if a natural disaster, such as a tsunami or flood, occurs, thus contributing to the safety of the mother facility. IHI's air-cooled heat exchangers are designed to ensure safe operation and withstand a large earthquake or severe atmospheric conditions. This report describes the technologies used to establish these safety features and their performance. (author)

Developing maintenance technologies for FBR's heat exchanger units by advanced laser processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimura, Akihiko; Shimada, Yukihiro

2011-01-01

Laser processing technologies were developed for the purpose of maintenance of FBR's heat exchanger units. Ultrashort laser processing fabricated fiber Bragg grating sensor for seismic monitoring. Fiber laser welding with a newly developed robot system repair cracks on inner wall of heat exchanger tubes. Safety operation of the heat exchanger units will be improved by the advanced laser processing technologies. These technologies are expected to be applied to the maintenance for the next generation FBRs. (author)

Numerical simulation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells at high operating temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jie; Lee, Seung Jae

A three-dimensional, single-phase, non-isothermal numerical model for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell at high operating temperature (T ≥ 393 K) was developed and implemented into a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code. The model accounts for convective and diffusive transport and allows predicting the concentration of species. The heat generated from electrochemical reactions, entropic heat and ohmic heat arising from the electrolyte ionic resistance were considered. The heat transport model was coupled with the electrochemical and mass transport models. The product water was assumed to be vaporous and treated as ideal gas. Water transportation across the membrane was ignored because of its low water electro-osmosis drag force in the polymer polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane. The results show that the thermal effects strongly affect the fuel cell performance. The current density increases with the increasing of operating temperature. In addition, numerical prediction reveals that the width and distribution of gas channel and current collector land area are key optimization parameters for the cell performance improvement.

Numerical simulation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells at high operating temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Jie; Lee, Seung Jae [Energy Lab, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Mt. 14-1 Nongseo-Dong, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-Si, Gyeonggi-Do 446-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2006-11-22

A three-dimensional, single-phase, non-isothermal numerical model for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell at high operating temperature (T>=393K) was developed and implemented into a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code. The model accounts for convective and diffusive transport and allows predicting the concentration of species. The heat generated from electrochemical reactions, entropic heat and ohmic heat arising from the electrolyte ionic resistance were considered. The heat transport model was coupled with the electrochemical and mass transport models. The product water was assumed to be vaporous and treated as ideal gas. Water transportation across the membrane was ignored because of its low water electro-osmosis drag force in the polymer polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane. The results show that the thermal effects strongly affect the fuel cell performance. The current density increases with the increasing of operating temperature. In addition, numerical prediction reveals that the width and distribution of gas channel and current collector land area are key optimization parameters for the cell performance improvement. (author)

Characterisation of a re-cast composite Nafion® 1100 series of proton exchange membranes incorporating inert inorganic oxide particles

OpenAIRE

Slade, S.; Smith, James; Campbell, S.; Ralph, T.; Ponce de Leon, C.; Walsh, F.

2010-01-01

A series of cation exchange membranes was produced by impregnating and coating both sides of a quartz web with a Nafion® solution (1100 EW, 10%wt in water). Inert filler particles (SiO2, ZrO2 or TiO2; 5–20%wt) were incorporated into the aqueous Nafion® solution to produce robust, composite membranes. Ion-exchange capacity/equivalent weight, water take-up, thickness change on hydration and ionic and electrical conductivity were measured in 1 mol dm−3 sulfuric acid at 298 K. The TiO2 filler sig...

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR Technology for Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation: Membrane Fouling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliver Terna Iorhemen

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The membrane bioreactor (MBR has emerged as an efficient compact technology for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. The major drawback impeding wider application of MBRs is membrane fouling, which significantly reduces membrane performance and lifespan, resulting in a significant increase in maintenance and operating costs. Finding sustainable membrane fouling mitigation strategies in MBRs has been one of the main concerns over the last two decades. This paper provides an overview of membrane fouling and studies conducted to identify mitigating strategies for fouling in MBRs. Classes of foulants, including biofoulants, organic foulants and inorganic foulants, as well as factors influencing membrane fouling are outlined. Recent research attempts on fouling control, including addition of coagulants and adsorbents, combination of aerobic granulation with MBRs, introduction of granular materials with air scouring in the MBR tank, and quorum quenching are presented. The addition of coagulants and adsorbents shows a significant membrane fouling reduction, but further research is needed to establish optimum dosages of the various coagulants/adsorbents. Similarly, the integration of aerobic granulation with MBRs, which targets biofoulants and organic foulants, shows outstanding filtration performance and a significant reduction in fouling rate, as well as excellent nutrients removal. However, further research is needed on the enhancement of long-term granule integrity. Quorum quenching also offers a strong potential for fouling control, but pilot-scale testing is required to explore the feasibility of full-scale application.

Determination of arsenate in water by anion selective membrane electrode using polyurethane–silica gel fibrous anion exchanger composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, Asif Ali, E-mail: asifkhan42003@yahoo.com; Shaheen, Shakeeba, E-mail: shakeebashaheen@ymail.com

2014-01-15

Highlights: • PU–Si gel is new anion exchanger material synthesized and characterized. • This material used as anion exchange membrane is applied for electroanalytical studies. • The method for detection and determination of AsO{sub 4}{sup 3−} in traces amounts discussed. • The results are also verified from arsenic analyzer. -- Abstract: Polyurethane (PU)–silica (Si gel) based fibrous anion exchanger composites were prepared by solid–gel polymerization of polyurethane in the presence of different amounts of silica gel. The formation of PU–Si gel fibrous anion exchanger composite was characterized by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis. The membrane having a composition of 5:3 (PU:Si gel) shows best results for water content, porosity, thickness and swelling. Our studies show that the present ion selective membrane electrode is selective for arsenic, having detection limit (1 × 10{sup −8} M to 1 × 10{sup −1} M), response time (45 s) and working pH range (5–8). The selectivity coefficient values for interfering ions indicate good selectivity for arsenate (AsO{sub 4}{sup 3−}) over interfering anions. The accuracy of the detection limit results was compared by PCA-Arsenomat.

Synthesis, Characterization and Transport Properties of Novel Ion-exchange Nanocomposite Membrane Containing In-situ Formed ZnO Nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Heidary

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A  new  type  of  cation-exchange  nanocomposite  membranes  was prepared  by  in-situ  formation  of  ZnO  nanoparticles  in  a  blend containing  sulfonated  poly  (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene  oxide  and sulfonated polyvinylchloride  via  a  simple  one-step  chemical method.  As-synthesized  nanocomposite  membranes were characterized  using  Fourier  transform  infrared  spectroscopy, scanning  electron  microscopy  and X-ray  diffraction.  The  SEM images  showed  that  ZnO  nanoparticles  were  uniformly  dispersed throughout the polymeric matrices. The effect of additive loading on physicochemical and electrochemical properties of prepared cation-exchange  nanocomposite  membranes  was  studied.  Various characterizations revealed that  the  incorporation  of  different amounts  of  ZnO  nanoparticles  into  the  basic  membrane  structure had a significant influence on the membrane performance and could improve the electrochemical properties.

Helium Ion Microscopy of proton exchange membrane fuel cell electrode structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chiriaev, Serguei; Dam Madsen, Nis; Rubahn, Horst-Günter

2017-01-01

electrode interface structure dependence on ionomer content, systematically studied by Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM). A special focus was on acquiring high resolution images of the electrode structure and avoiding interface damage from irradiation and tedious sample preparation. HIM demonstrated its....... In the hot-pressed electrodes, we found more closed contact between the electrode components, reduced particle size, polymer coalescence and formation of nano-sized polymer fiber architecture between the particles. Keywords: proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs); Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM...

THE USE OF CHLOROSULFONIC ACID ON SULFONATION OF cPTFE FILM GRAFTED STYRENE FOR PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yohan Yohan

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Sulfonation of g-ray iradiated and styrene-grafted crosslinked polytetrafluoro ethylene film (cPTFE-g-S film have been done. The aim of the research was to make hydrophyl membrane as proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Sulfonation was prepared by using chlorosulfonic acid in chloroethane under various conditions. The impact of the percentage of grafting, the concentration of chlorosulfonic acid, the reaction time,and the reaction temperature on the properties of sulfonated film were examined. The results show that sulfonation of surface-grafted films was incomplete at room temperature. Increasing concentration of chlorosulfonic acid and reaction temperature accelerate the reaction but they also favor side reactions. These lead to the decrease of the ion-exchange capacity, water uptake, and proton conductivity but the increase of the resistance to oxidation in a perhydrol solution. The resulted cPTFE-g-SS membraneis stabile in a H2O2 30% solution for 20 h.   Keywords: Chorosulfonic acid, sulfonation, PTFE film, proton excange membrane.

U.S. Department of Energy national technology information exchange workshops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daub, G.J.; Earle, S.D.; Smibert, A.M.; Wight, E.H.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy National Technology Information Exchange (TIE) Workshops bring together environmental restoration and technology development personnel to exchange and share problems, needs, technological solutions, ideas, and successes and failures from lessons learned at DOE sites. The success of this forum is measured by the knowledge gained, contacts made, and program dollars saved by the people who actually do the work in the field. TIE is a unique opportunity to unite the DOE community and allow individuals to listen and to learn about each others' problems and solutions. By using today's technologies better, the National TIE Workshops help identify and implement cost-effective and appropriate technologies to meet the needs of the DOE environmental restoration program

Hybrid membrane-microfluidic components using a novel ceramic MEMS technology

Science.gov (United States)

Lutz, Brent J.; Polyakov, Oleg; Rinaldo, Chris

2012-03-01

A novel hybrid nano/microfabrication technology has been employed to produce unique MEMS and microfluidic components that integrate nanoporous membranes. The components are made by micromachining a self-organized nanostructured ceramic material that is biocompatible and amenable to surface chemistry modification. Microfluidic structures, such as channels and wells, can be made with a precision of membranes can be integrated into the bottom of these structures, featuring a wide range of possible thicknesses, from 100 micron to membranes may be non-porous or porous (with controllable pore sizes from 200 nm to technology is highly scaleable, and thus can yield low-cost, reliable, disposable microcomponents and devices. Specific applications that can benefit from this technology includes cell culturing and assays, imaging by cryo-electron tomography, environmental sample processing, as well as many others.

High-performance membrane electrode assembly with multi-functional Pt/SnO2eSiO2/C catalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cell operated under low-humidity conditions

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hou, S

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A novel self-humidifying membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with homemade multifunctional Pt/SnO(sub2)-SiO(sub2)/C as the anode was developed to improve the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell under low humidity. The MEAs' performance...

Influence of cholesterol and ceramide VI on the structure of multilamellar lipid membranes at water exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryabova, N. Yu.; Kiselev, M. A.; Balagurov, A. M.

2010-01-01

The structural changes in the multilamellar lipid membranes of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/cholesterol and DPPC/ceramide VI binary systems during hydration and dehydration have been studied by neutron diffraction. The effect of cholesterol and ceramide on the kinetics of water exchange in DPPC membranes is characterized. Compared to pure DPPC, membranes of binary systems swell faster during hydration (with a characteristic time of ∼30 min). Both compounds, ceramide VI and cholesterol, similarly affect the hydration of DPPC membranes, increasing the repeat distance due to the bilayer growth. However, in contrast to cholesterol, ceramide significantly reduces the thickness of the membrane water layer. The introduction of cholesterol into a DPPC membrane slows down the change in the parameters of the bilayer internal structure during dehydration. In the DPPC/ceramide VI/cholesterol ternary system (with a molar cholesterol concentration of 40%), cholesterol is partially released from the lamellar membrane structure into the crystalline phase.

Water treatment for fossil fuel power generation - technology status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

This technology status report focuses on the use of water treatment technology in fossil fuel power plants. The use of polymeric ion exchange resins for deionization of water, the currently preferred use of ion exchange for economically treating water containing low dissolved salts, the use of low pressure high-flux membranes, membrane microfiltration, and reverse osmosis are discussed. Details are given of the benefits of the technologies, water use at power plants, the current status of water treatment technologies, and the potential for future developments, along with power plant market trends and potentials, worldwide developments, and UK capabilities in water treatment plant design and manufacturing

Development of Less Water-Dependent Radiation Grafted Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasef, M M; Ahmad, A; Saidi, H; Dahlan, K Z.M. [Institute of Hydrogen Economy, Energy Research Alliance (ERA), International Campus, Univeristi Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Radiation Processing Division, Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, Kajang (Malaysia)

2012-09-15

The aim of these studies was the development of proton exchange membranes for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell operated above 100{sup o}C, in order to obtain less water dependent, high quality and cheap electrolyte membrane. Sulfonic acid membranes were prepared by radiation induced grafting (RIG) of sodium styrene sulfonate (SSS) onto electron beam (EB) irradiated poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films in a single step reaction for the first time using synergetic effect of acid addition to grafting mixture under various grafting conditions. The fuel cell related properties of the membranes were evaluated and the in situ performance was tested in a single H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} fuel cell under dynamic conditions and compared with a similar sulfonated polystyrene PVDF membrane obtained by two-step conventional RIG method i.e. grafting of styrene and subsequent sulfonation. The newly obtained membrane (degree of grafting, G% = 53) showed an improved performance and higher stability together with a cost reduction mainly as a result of elimination of sulfonation reaction. Acid-base composite membranes were also studied. EB pre-irradiated poly(ethylene-co-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films were grafted with N-vinyl pyridine (NVP). The effects of monomer concentration, dose, reaction time, film thickness, temperature and film storage time on G% were investigated. The membranes were subsequently doped with phosphoric acid under controlled condition. The proton conductivity of these membranes was investigated under low water conditions in correlation with the variation in G% and temperature (30-130{sup o}C). The performance of 34 and 49% grafted and doped membranes was tested in a single fuel cell at 130{sup o}C under dynamic conditions with 146 and 127 mW/cm{sup 2} power densities. The polarization, power density characteristics and the initial stability of the membrane showed a promising electrolyte candidate for fuel cell operation above 100 deg. C. (author)

Electricity generation and removal performance of a microbial fuel cell using sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) as proton exchange membrane to treat phenol/acetone wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hao; Fu, Yu; Guo, Chunyu; Li, Yanbo; Jiang, Nanzhe; Yin, Chengri

2018-07-01

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) has emerged as a promising technology for wastewater treatment and energy recovery, but the expensive cost of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) is a problem that need to be solved. In this study, a two-chamber MFC based on our self-made PEM sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) membrane was set up to treat phenol/acetone wastewater and synchronously generate power. The maximum output voltage was 240-250 mV. Using phenol and acetone as substrates, the power generation time in an operation cycle was 289 h. The MFC exhibited good removal performance, with no phenol or acetone detected, respectively, when the phenol concentration was lower than 50 mg/L and the acetone concentration was lower than 100 mg/L. This study provides a cheap and eco-friendly way to treat phenol/acetone wastewater and generate useful energy by MFC technology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane technology and its suitability for treatment of textile waste water in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naveed, S.; Bhatti, S.

2006-01-01

Membrane technology has wide range of applications in the textile industry. Various types of dyes and chemicals can be recovered from the textile effluent using this technology and a large proportion of wastewater can be reused. Since textile is one of the major industries in Pakistan and it utilizes a huge volume of water, membrane technology can be an efficient and cost-effective method for treating textile effluents. The problem of membrane fouling is also discussed. The suitability of the technology has been assessed. The approach of employing primary treatment methods followed by Coagulation and Reverse Osmosis through Membranes is being recommended. The effectiveness of various types of membranes available in the world needs to be demonstrated for a specific plant. The result of initial studies performed by Aslam et al. Have also been included. (author)

Heterogeneous structure and its effect on properties and electrochemical behavior of ion-exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Ariono, D.; Khoiruddin; Subagjo; Wenten, I. G.

2017-02-01

Generally, commercially available ion-exchange membrane (IEM) can be classified into homogeneous and heterogeneous membranes. The classification is based on degree of heterogeneity in membrane structure. It is well known that the heterogeneity greatly affects the properties of IEM, such as conductivity, permselectivity, chemical and mechanical stability. The heterogeneity also influences ionic and electrical current transfer behavior of IEM-based processes during their operation. Therefore, understanding the role of heterogeneity in IEM properties is important to provide preliminary information on their operability and applicability. In this paper, the heterogeneity and its effect on IEM properties are reviewed. Some models for describing the heterogeneity of IEM and methods for characterizing the degree of heterogeneity are discussed. In addition, the influence of heterogeneity on the performance of IEM-based processes and their electrochemical behavior are described.

Novel proton exchange membrane based on crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) for direct methanol fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chien-Pan; Dai, Chi-An; Chao, Chi-Yang; Chang, Shoou-Jinn

2014-03-01

In this study, we report the synthesis and the characterization of poly (vinyl alcohol) based proton conducting membranes. In particular, we describe a novel physically and chemically PVA/HFA (poly (vinyl alcohol)/hexafluoroglutaric acid) blending membranes with BASANa (Benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt) and GA (Glutaraldehyde) as binary reaction agents. The key PEM parameters such as ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability were controlled by adjusting the chemical composition of the membranes. The IEC value of the membrane is found to be an important parameter in affecting water uptake, conductivity as well as the permeability of the resulting membrane. Plots of the water uptake, conductivity, and methanol permeability vs. IEC of the membranes show a distinct change in the slope of their curves at roughly the same IEC value which suggests a transition of structural changes in the network. The proton conductivities and the methanol permeability of all the membranes are in the range of 10-3-10-2 S cm-1 and 10-8-10-7 cm2 s-1, respectively, depending on its binary crosslinking density, and it shows great selectivity compared with those of Nafion®-117. The membranes display good mechanical properties which suggest a good lifetime usage of the membranes applied in DMFCs.

Cs2.5H0.5PWO40/SiO2 as addition self-humidifying composite membrane for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, L.; Yi, B.L.; Zhang, H.M.; Xing, D.M.

2007-01-01

In this paper, we first reported a novel self-humidifying composite membrane for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Cs 2.5 H 0.5 PWO 40 /SiO 2 catalyst particles were dispersed uniformly into the Nafion (registered) resin, and then Cs 2.5 H 0.5 PWO 40 -SiO 2 /Nafion composite membrane was prepared using solution-cast method. Compared with the H 3 PWO 40 (PTA) , the Cs 2.5 H 0.5 PWO 40 /SiO 2 was steady due to the substitute of H + with Cs + and the interaction between the Cs 2.5 H 0.5 PWO 40 and SiO 2 . And compared with the performance of the fuel cell with commercial Nafion (registered) NRE-212 membrane, the cell performance with the self-humidifying composite membrane was obviously improved under both humidified and dry conditions at 60 and 80 o C. The best performance under dry condition was obtained at 60 o C. The self-humidifying composite membrane could minimize membrane conductivity loss under dry conditions due to the presence of catalyst and hydrophilic Cs 2.5 H 0.5 PWO 40 /SiO 2 particles

Engineered Transport in Microporous Materials and Membranes for Clean Energy Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Changyi; Meckler, Stephen M; Smith, Zachary P; Bachman, Jonathan E; Maserati, Lorenzo; Long, Jeffrey R; Helms, Brett A

2018-02-01

Many forward-looking clean-energy technologies hinge on the development of scalable and efficient membrane-based separations. Ongoing investment in the basic research of microporous materials is beginning to pay dividends in membrane technology maturation. Specifically, improvements in membrane selectivity, permeability, and durability are being leveraged for more efficient carbon capture, desalination, and energy storage, and the market adoption of membranes in those areas appears to be on the horizon. Herein, an overview of the microporous materials chemistry driving advanced membrane development, the clean-energy separations employing them, and the theoretical underpinnings tying membrane performance to membrane structure across multiple length scales is provided. The interplay of pore architecture and chemistry for a given set of analytes emerges as a critical design consideration dictating mass transport outcomes. Opportunities and outstanding challenges in the field are also discussed, including high-flux 2D molecular-sieving membranes, phase-change adsorbents as performance-enhancing components in composite membranes, and the need for quantitative metrologies for understanding mass transport in heterophasic materials and in micropores with unusual chemical interactions with analytes of interest. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Examining hemodialyzer membrane performance using proteomic technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonomini, Mario; Pieroni, Luisa; Di Liberato, Lorenzo; Sirolli, Vittorio; Urbani, Andrea

2018-01-01

The success and the quality of hemodialysis therapy are mainly related to both clearance and biocompatibility properties of the artificial membrane packed in the hemodialyzer. Performance of a membrane is strongly influenced by its interaction with the plasma protein repertoire during the extracorporeal procedure. Recognition that a number of medium-high molecular weight solutes, including proteins and protein-bound molecules, are potentially toxic has prompted the development of more permeable membranes. Such membrane engineering, however, may cause loss of vital proteins, with membrane removal being nonspecific. In addition, plasma proteins can be adsorbed onto the membrane surface upon blood contact during dialysis. Adsorption can contribute to the removal of toxic compounds and governs the biocompatibility of a membrane, since surface-adsorbed proteins may trigger a variety of biologic blood pathways with pathophysiologic consequences. Over the last years, use of proteomic approaches has allowed polypeptide spectrum involved in the process of hemodialysis, a key issue previously hampered by lack of suitable technology, to be assessed in an unbiased manner and in its full complexity. Proteomics has been successfully applied to identify and quantify proteins in complex mixtures such as dialysis outflow fluid and fluid desorbed from dialysis membrane containing adsorbed proteins. The identified proteins can also be characterized by their involvement in metabolic and signaling pathways, molecular networks, and biologic processes through application of bioinformatics tools. Proteomics may thus provide an actual functional definition as to the effect of a membrane material on plasma proteins during hemodialysis. Here, we review the results of proteomic studies on the performance of hemodialysis membranes, as evaluated in terms of solute removal efficiency and blood-membrane interactions. The evidence collected indicates that the information provided by proteomic

Real-Time Microscopic Monitoring of Flow, Voltage and Current in the Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Li, Shih-Chun; Chen, Chia-Hung; Huang, Yen-Ting; Wang, Yu-Syuan

2018-03-15

Looking for alternative energy sources has been an inevitable trend since the oil crisis, and close attentioned has been paid to hydrogen energy. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer is characterized by high energy efficiency, high yield, simple system and low operating temperature. The electrolyzer generates hydrogen from water free of any carbon sources (provided the electrons come from renewable sources such as solar and wind), so it is very clean and completely satisfies the environmental requirement. However, in long-term operation of the PEM water electrolyzer, the membrane material durability, catalyst corrosion and nonuniformity of local flow, voltage and current in the electrolyzer can influence the overall performance. It is difficult to measure the internal physical parameters of the PEM water electrolyzer, and the physical parameters are interrelated. Therefore, this study uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology to develop a flexible integrated microsensor; internal multiple physical information is extracted to determine the optimal working parameters for the PEM water electrolyzer. The real operational data of local flow, voltage and current in the PEM water electrolyzer are measured simultaneously by the flexible integrated microsensor, so as to enhance the performance of the PEM water electrolyzer and to prolong the service life.

A series of poly(butylimidazolium) ionic liquid functionalized copolymers for anion exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Ouadah, Amina; Xu, Hulin; Luo, Tianwei; Gao, Shuitao; Wang, Xing; Fang, Zhou; Jing, Chaojun; Zhu, Changjin

2017-12-01

A new series of ionic liquid functionalized copolymers for anion exchange membranes (AEM) is prepared. Poly(butylvinylimidazolium)(b-VIB) is copolymerized with para-methyl styrene (p-MS) by the radical polymerization formed block copolymers b-VIB/p-MS, which is crosslinked with poly(diphenylether bibenzimidazole) (DPEBI) providing the desired materials b-VIB/p-MS/DPEBI. Structures are characterized via H1NMR, FTIR spectra and elemental analysis. The b-VIB blocks offer the anion conduction function while DPEBI moieties contribute to enhancing other properties. The prepared membranes display chloride conductivity as high as 19.5 mS/cm at 25 °C and 69.2 mS/cm at 100 °C-higher than that of the commercial membrane tokuyuama A201-. Their hydroxide conductivity reaches 35.7 Scm-1 at 25 °C and 73.1 Scm-1 at 100 °C. The membranes showed a linear Arrhenius behavior in the anion conduction, low activation energies and distinguished nanophase separation of hydrophilic/hydrophobic regions by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Thermal investigations using TGA and DSC confirm that the membranes are stable up to 250 °C. Particularly, drastically alkaline stability due to no decrease in the hydroxide conductivity after 168 h of treatment with 2M KOH.

Comparison of gaseous oxidized Hg measured by KCl-coated denuders, and nylon and cation exchange membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jiaoyan; Miller, Matthieu B; Weiss-Penzias, Peter; Gustin, Mae Sexauer

2013-07-02

The chemical compounds that make up gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in the atmosphere, and the reactions responsible for their formation, are not well understood. The limitations and uncertainties associated with the current method applied to measure these compounds, the KCl-coated denuder, are not known due to lack of calibration and testing. This study systematically compared the uptake of specific GOM compounds by KCl-coated denuders with that collected using nylon and cation exchange membranes in the laboratory and field. In addition, a new method for identifying different GOM compounds using thermal desorption is presented. Different GOM compounds (HgCl2, HgBr2, and HgO) were found to have different affinities for the denuder surface and the denuder underestimated each of these compounds. Membranes measured 1.3 to 3.7 times higher GOM than denuders in laboratory and field experiments. Cation exchange membranes had the highest collection efficiency. Thermodesorption profiles for the release of GOM compounds from the nylon membrane were different for HgO versus HgBr2 and HgCl2. Application of the new field method for collection and identification of GOM compounds demonstrated these vary as a function of location and time of year. Understanding the chemistry of GOM across space and time has important implications for those developing policy regarding this environmental contaminant.

Enhanced performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell by introducing nitrogen-doped CNTs in both catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Hou, S

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is significantly improved through introducing nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) into the catalyst layer (CL) and microporous layer (MPL) of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA...

A review of fault tolerant control strategies applied to proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems

Science.gov (United States)

Dijoux, Etienne; Steiner, Nadia Yousfi; Benne, Michel; Péra, Marie-Cécile; Pérez, Brigitte Grondin

2017-08-01

Fuel cells are powerful systems for power generation. They have a good efficiency and do not generate greenhouse gases. This technology involves a lot of scientific fields, which leads to the appearance of strongly inter-dependent parameters. This makes the system particularly hard to control and increases fault's occurrence frequency. These two issues call for the necessity to maintain the system performance at the expected level, even in faulty operating conditions. It is called "fault tolerant control" (FTC). The present paper aims to give the state of the art of FTC applied to the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The FTC approach is composed of two parts. First, a diagnosis part allows the identification and the isolation of a fault; it requires a good a priori knowledge of all the possible faults. Then, a control part allows an optimal control strategy to find the best operating point to recover/mitigate the fault; it requires the knowledge of the degradation phenomena and their mitigation strategies.

Determination of glucose exchange rates and permeability of erythrocyte membrane in preeclampsia and subsequent oxidative stress-related protein damage using dynamic-{sup 19}F-NMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dickinson, Elizabeth, E-mail: elizabeth.dickinson@york.ac.uk [University of York, Department of Chemistry (United Kingdom); Arnold, John R. P. [Selby College (United Kingdom); Fisher, Julie [University of Leeds, School of Chemistry (United Kingdom)

2017-02-15

The cause of the pregnancy condition preeclampsia (PE) is thought to be endothelial dysfunction caused by oxidative stress. As abnormal glucose tolerance has also been associated with PE, we use a fluorinated-mimic of this metabolite to establish whether any oxidative damage to lipids and proteins in the erythrocyte membrane has increased cell membrane permeability. Data were acquired using {sup 19}F Dynamic-NMR (DNMR) to measure exchange of 3-fluoro-3-deoxyglucose (3-FDG) across the membrane of erythrocytes from 10 pregnant women (5 healthy control women, and 5 from women suffering from PE). Magnetisation transfer was measured using the 1D selective inversion and 2D EXSY pulse sequences, over a range of time delays. Integrated intensities from these experiments were used in matrix diagonalisation to estimate the values of the rate constants of exchange and membrane permeability. No significant differences were observed for the rate of exchange of 3-FDG and membrane permeability between healthy pregnant women and those suffering from PE, leading us to conclude that no oxidative damage had occurred at this carrier-protein site in the membrane.

Determination of glucose exchange rates and permeability of erythrocyte membrane in preeclampsia and subsequent oxidative stress-related protein damage using dynamic-"1"9F-NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickinson, Elizabeth; Arnold, John R. P.; Fisher, Julie

2017-01-01

The cause of the pregnancy condition preeclampsia (PE) is thought to be endothelial dysfunction caused by oxidative stress. As abnormal glucose tolerance has also been associated with PE, we use a fluorinated-mimic of this metabolite to establish whether any oxidative damage to lipids and proteins in the erythrocyte membrane has increased cell membrane permeability. Data were acquired using "1"9F Dynamic-NMR (DNMR) to measure exchange of 3-fluoro-3-deoxyglucose (3-FDG) across the membrane of erythrocytes from 10 pregnant women (5 healthy control women, and 5 from women suffering from PE). Magnetisation transfer was measured using the 1D selective inversion and 2D EXSY pulse sequences, over a range of time delays. Integrated intensities from these experiments were used in matrix diagonalisation to estimate the values of the rate constants of exchange and membrane permeability. No significant differences were observed for the rate of exchange of 3-FDG and membrane permeability between healthy pregnant women and those suffering from PE, leading us to conclude that no oxidative damage had occurred at this carrier-protein site in the membrane.

Examination of Amine-Functionalised Anion-Exchange Membranes for Possible Use in the All-Vanadium Redox Flow Battery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallinson, Sarah L.; Varcoe, John R.; Slade, Robert C.T.

2014-01-01

The applicability of amine-functionalised anion-exchange membranes (AEMs) for use in the all-vanadium redox flow battery has been studied. A selection of radiation-grafted aminated membranes functionalised with dimethylamine, trimethylamine or diazabicyclo(2,2,2)octane were extensively tested. The success of each grafting process was confirmed by Raman and infrared spectroscopies, titrimetry and ionic conductivity measurements. The amine-functionalised membranes were found to have poor thermo-oxidative stability and high vanadium cation permeabilities. The results highlight the importance of balancing ionic conductivity with vanadium cation permeability and indicate that amine-based functional groups may not be suitably stable for the membranes to remain true AEMs when in use in the all-vanadium redox flow battery

Effect of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) incorporation on water uptake and conductivity of proton exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Sproll, Véronique; Schmidt, Thomas J.; Gubler, Lorenz

2018-03-01

The aim of this work was to investigate how hygroscopic moieties like hydrolyzed glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) influence the properties of sulfonated polysytrene based proton exchange membranes (PEM). Therefore, several membranes were synthesized by electron beam treatment of the ETFE (ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) base film with a subsequent co-grafting of styrene and GMA at different ratios. The obtained membranes were sulfonated to introduce proton conducting groups and the epoxide moiety of the GMA unit was hydrolyzed for a better water absorption. The PEM was investigated regarding its structural composition, water uptake and through-plane conductivity. It could be shown that the density of sulfonic acid groups has a higher influence on the proton conductivity of the PEM than an increased water uptake.

InP membrane on silicon integration technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, M.K.

2013-01-01

Integration of light sources in silicon photonics is usually done with an active InP-based layer stack on a silicon-based photonic circuit-layer. InP Membrane On Silicon (IMOS) technology integrates all functionality in a single InP-based layer.

Sliding mode observer for proton exchange membrane fuel cell: automotive application

Science.gov (United States)

Piffard, Maxime; Gerard, Mathias; Fonseca, Ramon Da; Massioni, Paolo; Bideaux, Eric

2018-06-01

This work proposes a state observer as a tool to manage cost and durability issues for PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) in automotive applications. Based on a dead-end anode architecture, the observer estimates the nitrogen build-up in the anode side, as well as relative humidities in the channels. These estimated parameters can then be used at fuel cell management level to enhance the durability of the stack. This observer is based on transport equations through the membrane and it reconstructs the behavior of the water and nitrogen inside the channels without the need of additional humidity sensors to correct the estimate. The convergence of the output variables is proved with Lyapunov theory for dynamic operating conditions. The validation is made with a high-fidelity model running a WLTC (Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle). This observer provides the average values of nitrogen and relative humidities with sufficient precision to be used in a global real-time control scheme.

Fatigue and creep to leak tests of proton exchange membranes using pressure-loaded blisters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yongqiang; Dillard, David A.; Case, Scott W. [Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0219 (United States); Ellis, Michael W. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0238 (United States); Lai, Yeh-Hung; Gittleman, Craig S.; Miller, Daniel P. [Fuel Cell Research Lab, GM R and D, General Motors Corporation, 10 Carriage Street, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472-0603 (United States)

2009-12-01

In this study, three commercially available proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are biaxially tested using pressure-loaded blisters to characterize their resistance to gas leakage under either static (creep) or cyclic fatigue loading. The pressurizing medium, air, is directly used for leak detection. These tests are believed to be more relevant to fuel cell applications than quasi-static uniaxial tensile-to-rupture tests because of the use of biaxial cyclic and sustained loading and the use of gas leakage as the failure criterion. They also have advantages over relative humidity cycling test, in which a bare PEM or catalyst coated membrane is clamped with gas diffusion media and flow field plates and subjected to cyclic changes in relative humidity, because of the flexibility in allowing controlled mechanical loading and accelerated testing. Nafion {sup registered} NRE-211 membranes are tested at three different temperatures and the time-temperature superposition principle is used to construct stress-lifetime master curve. Tested at 90 C, 2%RH extruded Ion Power {sup registered} N111-IP membranes have a longer lifetime than Gore trademark -Select {sup registered} 57 and Nafion {sup registered} NRE-211 membranes. (author)

Experimental study on the membrane electrode assembly of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell: effects of microporous layer, membrane thickness and gas diffusion layer hydrophobic treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Rui B.; Falcão, D.S.; Oliveira, V.B.; Pinto, A.M.F.R.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • EIS is employed to investigate the MEA design of a PEM fuel cell. • Effects of MPL, membrane thickness and GDL hydrophobic treatment are studied. • MPL increases cell output at low to medium currents but reduces it at high currents. • Better results are obtained when employing a thinner Nafion membrane. • GDL hydrophobic treatment improves the cell performance. - Abstract: In this study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is employed to analyze the influence of microporous layer (MPL), membrane thickness and gas diffusion layer (GDL) hydrophobic treatment in the performance of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Results show that adding a MPL increases cell performance at low to medium current densities. Because lower ohmic losses are observed when applying a MPL, such improvement is attributed to a better hydration state of the membrane. The MPL creates a pressure barrier for water produced at the cathode, forcing it to travel to the anode side, therefore increasing the water content in the membrane. However, at high currents, this same phenomenon seems to have intensified liquid water flooding in the anode gas channels, increasing mass transfer losses and reducing the cell performance. Decreasing membrane thickness results into considerably higher performances, due to a decrease in ohmic resistance. Moreover, at low air humidity operation, a rapid recovery from dehydration is observed when a thinner membrane is employed. The GDL hydrophobic treatment significantly improves the cell performance. Untreated GDLs appear to act as water-traps that not only hamper reactants transport to the reactive sites but also impede the proper humidification of the cell. From the different designs tested, the highest maximum power density is obtained from that containing a MPL, a thinner membrane and treated GDLs.

Heterogeneous ion-exchange polyethylene-based membranes with sulfonated poly(1,4-phenylene sulfide) particles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schauer, Jan; Brožová, Libuše; Pientka, Zbyněk; Bouzek, K.

2006-01-01

Roč. 200, 1-3 (2006), s. 632-633 ISSN 0011-9164. [Conference Euromembrane. Giardini Naxos - Taormina, 24.09.2006-28.09.2006] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/05/0080 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : ion-exchange membrane * poly(phenylene sulfide) * fuel cell Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.917, year: 2006

Crosslinked anion exchange membranes with primary diamine-based crosslinkers for vanadium redox flow battery application

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Min Suc; Jeong, Hwan Yeop; Shin, Hee Young; Hong, Soo Hyun; Kim, Tae-Ho; Oh, Seong-Geun; Lee, Jang Yong; Hong, Young Taik

2017-09-01

A series of polysulfone-based crosslinked anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with primary diamine-based crosslinkers has been prepared via simple a crosslinking process as low-cost and durable membranes for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Chloromethylated polysulfone is used as a precursor polymer for crosslinked AEMs (CAPSU-x) with different degrees of crosslinking. Among the developed AEMs, CAPSU-2.5 shows outstanding dimensional stability and anion (Cl-, SO42-, and OH-) conductivity. Moreover, CAPSU-2.5 exhibits much lower vanadium ion permeability (2.72 × 10-8 cm2 min-1) than Nafion 115 (2.88 × 10-6 cm2 min-1), which results in an excellent coulombic efficiency of 100%. The chemical and operational stabilities of the membranes have been investigated via ex situ soaking tests in 0.1 M VO2+ solution and in situ operation tests for 100 cycles, respectively. The excellent chemical, physical, and electrochemical properties of the CAPSU-2.5 membrane make it suitable for use in VRFBs.

Water Soluble Polymers as Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bing-Joe Hwang

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The relentless increase in the demand for useable power from energy-hungry economies continues to drive energy-material related research. Fuel cells, as a future potential power source that provide clean-at-the-point-of-use power offer many advantages such as high efficiency, high energy density, quiet operation, and environmental friendliness. Critical to the operation of the fuel cell is the proton exchange membrane (polymer electrolyte membrane responsible for internal proton transport from the anode to the cathode. PEMs have the following requirements: high protonic conductivity, low electronic conductivity, impermeability to fuel gas or liquid, good mechanical toughness in both the dry and hydrated states, and high oxidative and hydrolytic stability in the actual fuel cell environment. Water soluble polymers represent an immensely diverse class of polymers. In this comprehensive review the initial focus is on those members of this group that have attracted publication interest, principally: chitosan, poly (ethylene glycol, poly (vinyl alcohol, poly (vinylpyrrolidone, poly (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid and poly (styrene sulfonic acid. The paper then considers in detail the relationship of structure to functionality in the context of polymer blends and polymer based networks together with the effects of membrane crosslinking on IPN and semi IPN architectures. This is followed by a review of pore-filling and other impregnation approaches. Throughout the paper detailed numerical results are given for comparison to today’s state-of-the-art Nafion® based materials.

Protonic conductors for proton exchange membrane fuel cells: An overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jurado Ramon Jose

2002-01-01

Full Text Available At present, Nation, which is a perfluorinated polymer, is one of the few materials that deliver the set of chemical and mechanical properties required to perform as a good electrolyte in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs. However, Nation presents some disadvantages, such as limiting the operational temperature of the fuel system (So°C, because of its inability to retain water at higher temperatures and also suffers chemical crossover. In addition to these restrictions, Nation membranes are very expensive. Reducing costs and using environmentally friendly materials are good reasons to make a research effort in this field in order to achieve similar or even better fuel-cell performances. Glass materials of the ternary system SiO2-ZrO2-P2O5, hybrid materials based on Nation, and nanopore ceramic membranes based on SiO2 TiO2, Al2O3, etc. are considered at present, as promising candidates to replace Nation as the electrolyte in PEMFCs. These types of materials are generally prepared by sol-gel processes in order to tailor their channel-porous structure and pore size. In this communication, the possible candidates in the near future as electrolytes (including other polymers different than Nation in PEMFCs are briefly reviewed. Their preparation methods, their electrical transport properties and conduction mechanisms are considered. The advantages and disadvantages of these materials with respect to Nation are also discussed.

Stereochemistry-Dependent Proton Conduction in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Thimmappa, Ravikumar; Devendrachari, Mruthyunjayachari Chattanahalli; Kottaichamy, Alagar Raja; Tiwari, Omshanker; Gaikwad, Pramod; Paswan, Bhuneshwar; Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam

2016-01-12

Graphene oxide (GO) is impermeable to H2 and O2 fuels while permitting H(+) shuttling, making it a potential candidate for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), albeit with a large anisotropy in their proton transport having a dominant in plane (σIP) contribution over the through plane (σTP). If GO-based membranes are ever to succeed in PEMFC, it inevitably should have a dominant through-plane proton shuttling capability (σTP), as it is the direction in which proton gets transported in a real fuel-cell configuration. Here we show that anisotropy in proton conduction in GO-based fuel cell membranes can be brought down by selectively tuning the geometric arrangement of functional groups around the dopant molecules. The results show that cis isomer causes a selective amplification of through-plane proton transport, σTP, pointing to a very strong geometry angle in ionic conduction. Intercalation of cis isomer causes significant expansion of GO (001) planes involved in σTP transport due to their mutual H-bonding interaction and efficient bridging of individual GO planes, bringing down the activation energy required for σTP, suggesting the dominance of a Grotthuss-type mechanism. This isomer-governed amplification of through-plane proton shuttling resulted in the overall boosting of fuel-cell performance, and it underlines that geometrical factors should be given prime consideration while selecting dopant molecules for bringing down the anisotropy in proton conduction and enhancing the fuel-cell performance in GO-based PEMFC.

Post-irradiation time effects on the graft of poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films for ion exchange membrane application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geraldes, Adriana N., E-mail: angeral@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Centro de Quimica e Meio Ambiente (CQMA), Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 2242, 05508-900, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Zen, Heloisa A.; Ribeiro, Geise; Ferreira, Henrique P.; Souza, Camila P.; Parra, Duclerc F.; Santiago, Elisabete I.; Lugao, Ademar B. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Centro de Quimica e Meio Ambiente (CQMA), Av. Professor Lineu Prestes, 2242, 05508-900, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2010-03-15

Grafting of styrene followed by sulfonation onto poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) was studied for synthesis of ion exchange membranes. Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto ETFE films was investigated after simultaneous irradiation (in post-irradiation condition) using a {sup 60}Co source. The ETFE films were irradiated at 20 kGy dose at room temperature and chemical changes were monitored after contact with styrene for grafting. The post-irradiation time was established at 14 days when the films were remained in styrene/toluene 1:1 v/v. After this period the grafting degree was evaluated in the samples. The grafted films were sulfonated using chlorosulfonic acid and 1, 2-dichloroethane 20:80 (v/v) at room temperature for 5 h. The membranes were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric measurements (TG) and degree of grafting (DOG). The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of membranes was determined by acid-base titration and the values for ETFE membranes were achieved higher than Nafion films. Preliminary single cell performance was made using pure H{sub 2} and O{sub 2} as reactants at a cell temperature of 80 deg. C and atmospheric gas pressure. The fuel cell performance of ETFE films was satisfactory when compared to state-of-art Nafion membranes.

Post-irradiation time effects on the graft of poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) films for ion exchange membrane application

Science.gov (United States)

Geraldes, Adriana N.; Zen, Heloísa A.; Ribeiro, Geise; Ferreira, Henrique P.; Souza, Camila P.; Parra, Duclerc F.; Santiago, Elisabete I.; Lugão, Ademar B.

2010-03-01

Grafting of styrene followed by sulfonation onto poly(ethylene-alt-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE) was studied for synthesis of ion exchange membranes. Radiation-induced grafting of styrene onto ETFE films was investigated after simultaneous irradiation (in post-irradiation condition) using a 60Co source. The ETFE films were irradiated at 20 kGy dose at room temperature and chemical changes were monitored after contact with styrene for grafting. The post-irradiation time was established at 14 days when the films were remained in styrene/toluene 1:1 v/v. After this period the grafting degree was evaluated in the samples. The grafted films were sulfonated using chlorosulfonic acid and 1, 2-dichloroethane 20:80 (v/v) at room temperature for 5 h. The membranes were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric measurements (TG) and degree of grafting (DOG). The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of membranes was determined by acid-base titration and the values for ETFE membranes were achieved higher than Nafion ® films. Preliminary single cell performance was made using pure H 2 and O 2 as reactants at a cell temperature of 80 °C and atmospheric gas pressure. The fuel cell performance of ETFE films was satisfactory when compared to state-of-art Nafion ® membranes.

A proton-exchange membrane prepared by the radiation grafting of styrene and silica into polytetrafluoroethylene films

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hongyan; Shi, Jianheng; Zeng, Xinmiao; Bao, Mao; Zhao, Xinqing

2009-07-01

A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based organic-inorganic hybrid proton-exchange membrane was prepared from simultaneous radiation grafting of styrene (St) into porous PTFE membrane with the in situ sol-gel reaction of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) followed by sulfonation in fuming sulfonic acid. The effect of radiation on the sol-gel reaction was studied. The results show that radiation promotes the sol-gel reaction with the help of St at room temperature. Incorporated silica gel helps to produce higher degree of grafting (DOG). SEM analysis was conducted to confirm that the inorganic silicon oxide was introduced to produce hybrid membrane in this work. The proton conductivity of membrane evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is much higher (14.3×10 -2 S cm -1) than that of Nafion ® 117 at temperature of 80 °C with acceptable water uptake 51 wt%.

Thermal and water management of low temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell in fork-lift truck power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosseinzadeh, Elham; Rokni, Masoud; Rabbani, Abid; Mortensen, Henrik Hilleke

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Developing a general zero dimensional Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) model for a forklift. ► System performance with different cooling fluids. ► Water and thermal management of fuel cell system. ► Effect of inlet temperature, outlet temperature and temperature gradient on system performance. - Abstract: A general zero-dimensional Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) model has been developed for forklift truck application. The balance of plant (BOP) comprises of a compressor, an air humidifier, a set of heat exchangers and a recirculation pump. Water and thermal management of the fuel cell stack and BOP has been investigated in this study. The results show that humidification of the inlet air is of great importance. By decreasing the relative humidity of inlet air from 95% to 25%, the voltage can drop by 29%. In addition, elevated stack temperature can lead to a higher average cell voltage when membrane is fully hydrated otherwise it causes a drastic voltage drop in the stack. Furthermore, by substituting liquid water with water–ethylene glycol mixture of 50%, the mass flow of coolant increases by about 32–33% in the inner loop and 60–65% in the outer loop for all ranges of current. The system can then be started up at about −25 °C with negligible change in the efficiency

Multiple-membrane multiple-electrolyte redox flow battery design

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yushan; Gu, Shuang; Gong, Ke

2017-05-02

A redox flow battery is provided. The redox flow battery involves multiple-membrane (at least one cation exchange membrane and at least one anion exchange membrane), multiple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and at least one electrolyte disposed between the two membranes) as the basic characteristic, such as a double-membrane, triple electrolyte (DMTE) configuration or a triple-membrane, quadruple electrolyte (TMQE) configuration. The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte.

Effects of Cationic Pendant Groups on Ionic Conductivity for Anion Exchange Membranes: Structure Conductivity Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sojeong; Choi, Soo-Hyung; Lee, Won Bo

Anion exchange membranes(AEMs) have been widely studied due to their various applications, especially for Fuel cells. Previous proton exchange membranes(PEMs), such as Nafions® have better conductivity than AEMs so far. However, technical limitations such as slow electrode kinetics, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning of metal catalysts, high methanol crossover and high cost of Pt-based catalyst detered further usages. AEMs have advantages to supplement its drawbacks. AEMs are environmentally friendly and cost-efficient. Based on the well-defined block copolymer, self-assembled morphology is expected to have some relationship with its ionic conductivity. Recently AEMs based on various cations, including ammonium, phosphonium, guanidinium, imidazolium, metal cation, and benzimidazolium cations have been developed and extensively studied with the aim to prepare high- performance AEMs. But more fundamental approach, such as relationships between nanostructure and conductivity is needed. We use well-defined block copolymer Poly(styrene-block-isoprene) as a backbone which is synthesized by anionic polymerization. Then we graft various cationic functional groups and analysis the relation between morphology and conductivity. Theoretical and computational soft matter lab.

Use of communication technologies in document exchange for the management of construction projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mesároš Peter

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Information and communication technologies represent a set of people, processes, technical and software tools providing collection, transport, storage and processing of data for distribution and presentation of information. Particularly communication systems are the main tool for information exchange. Of the other part, these technologies have a broad focus and use. One of them is the exchange of documents in the management of construction projects. Paper discusses the issue of exploitation level of communication technologies in construction project management. The main objective of this paper is to analyze exploitation level of communication technologies. Another aim of the paper is to compare exploitation level or rate of document exchange by electronic communication devices and face-to-face communication.

Use of communication technologies in document exchange for the management of construction projects

Science.gov (United States)

Mesároš, Peter; Mandičák, Tomáš

2016-06-01

Information and communication technologies represent a set of people, processes, technical and software tools providing collection, transport, storage and processing of data for distribution and presentation of information. Particularly communication systems are the main tool for information exchange. Of the other part, these technologies have a broad focus and use. One of them is the exchange of documents in the management of construction projects. Paper discusses the issue of exploitation level of communication technologies in construction project management. The main objective of this paper is to analyze exploitation level of communication technologies. Another aim of the paper is to compare exploitation level or rate of document exchange by electronic communication devices and face-to-face communication.

A review on the performance and modelling of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boucetta, A., E-mail: abirboucetta@yahoo.fr; Ghodbane, H., E-mail: h.ghodbane@mselab.org; Bahri, M., E-mail: m.bahri@mselab.org [Department of Electrical Engineering, MSE Laboratory, Mohamed khider Biskra University (Algeria); Ayad, M. Y., E-mail: ayadmy@gmail.com [R& D, Industrial Hybrid Vehicle Applications (France)

2016-07-25

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), are energy efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional energy conversion for various applications in stationary power plants, portable power device and transportation. PEM fuel cells provide low operating temperature and high-energy efficiency with near zero emission. A PEM fuel cell is a multiple distinct parts device and a series of mass, energy, transport through gas channels, electric current transport through membrane electrode assembly and electrochemical reactions at the triple-phase boundaries. These processes play a decisive role in determining the performance of the Fuel cell, so that studies on the phenomena of gas flows and the performance modelling are made deeply. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the state of the art on the Study of the phenomena of gas flow and performance modelling of PEMFC.

Ionic liquids in proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Efficient systems for energy generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padilha, Janine C.; Basso, Juliana; da Trindade, Leticia G.; Martini, Emilse M.A.; de Souza, Michele O.; de Souza, Roberto F. [Institute of Chemistry, UFRGS, Av. Bento Goncalves 9500, Porto Alegre 91501-970, P.O. Box 15003 (Brazil)

2010-10-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are used in portable devices to generate electrical energy; however, the efficiency of the PEMFC is currently only 40%. This study demonstrates that the efficiency of a PEMFC can be increased to 61% when 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMI.BF{sub 4}) ionic liquid (IL) is used together with the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The results for ionic liquids (ILs) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMI.Cl) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMI.BF{sub 4}) in aqueous solutions are better than those obtained with pure water. The current and the power densities with IL are at least 50 times higher than those obtained for the PEMFC wetted with pure water. This increase in PEMFC performance can greatly facilitate the use of renewable energy sources. (author)

Membrane technologies for liquid radioactive waste treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chmielewski, A.G.; Harasimowicz, M.; Zakrzewska-Trznadel, G.

1998-01-01

At Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology (INCT) the membrane method for purification of radioactive wastes applied such processes as ultrafiltration (UF), 'seeded' ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (RO) was developed. On the basis of the results obtained in laboratory experiments the pilot plant for radioactive effluents treatment was built. The plant was composed of UF unit (AMICON H 26P30 capillary module) and two RO units (NITTO NTR 739 HF S-4 spiral wound LPRO modules). The capacity of the pilot plant was up to 200 L/h and the specific activity of wastes purified in the system - below 10 4 Bq/L. Decontamination factor for entire system is higher than 5 x10 3 . Another possibility for radioactive wastes treatment is membrane distillation (MD), non-isothermal process employing hydrophobic polymer membrane, which is developed at INCT now. Preliminary tests with liquid radwaste were carried out on laboratory unit with permeation test-cell holding flat sheet membrane. As a hydrophobic barrier membranes made of two polymers were used: polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polypropylene (PP). The process was arranged in direct contact membrane distillation configuration. The permeate condensed directly in the cold stream (distilled water) and retentate was enriched in radionuclides. The further experiments carried out with capillary module BFMF 06-30-33 (Euro-Sep Ltd.) with polypropylene capillaries, diameter 0.33 mm and cut off 0.6 μm proved previous results. A pilot plant employing GORE-TEX membrane distillation was constructed. The plant can clean the low-level radioactive wastes from nuclear centre, at a throughput about 0.05 m 3 /h

Development of an Internal Real-Time Wireless Diagnostic Tool for a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Chen, Chia-Hung; Tsai, Chao-Hsuan; Wang, Yu-Syuan

2018-01-13

To prolong the operating time of unmanned aerial vehicles which use proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), the performance of PEMFC is the key. However, a long-term operation can make the Pt particles of the catalyst layer and the pollutants in the feedstock gas bond together (e.g., CO), so that the catalyst loses reaction activity. The performance decay and aging of PEMFC will be influenced by operating conditions, temperature, flow and CO concentration. Therefore, this study proposes the development of an internal real-time wireless diagnostic tool for PEMFC, and uses micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology to develop a wireless and thin (PEMFC; (5) customized design and development. The flexible integrated microsensor is embedded in the PEMFC, three important physical quantities in the PEMFC, which are the temperature, flow and CO, can be measured simultaneously and instantly, so as to obtain the authentic and complete reaction in the PEMFC to enhance the performance of PEMFC and to prolong the service life.

High temperature proton exchange membranes based on polybenzimidazoles for fuel cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Qingfeng; Jensen, Jens Oluf; Savinell, Robert F

2009-01-01

-term durability with a degradation rate of 5Vh−1 has been achieved under continuous operation with hydrogen and air at 150–160 ◦C. With load or thermal cycling, a performance loss of 300V per cycle or 40Vh−1 per operating hour was observed. Further improvement should be done by, e.g. optimizing the thermal...... in recent years motivated extensive research activities with great progress. This treatise is devoted to updating the development, covering polymer synthesis, membrane casting, physicochemical characterizations and fuel cell technologies. To optimize the membrane properties, high molecular weight polymers...

Opportunities for membrane technologies in the treatment of mining and mineral process streams and effluents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awadalla, F.T.; Kumar, A.

1994-01-01

The membrane separation technologies of microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis are suitable for treating many dilute streams and effluents generated in mining and mineral processing. Membrane technologies are capable of treating these dilute streams in order to produce clean permeate water for recycle and a concentrate that can potentially be used for valuable metals recovery. Membrane technologies can be utilized alone, or in combination with other techniques as a polishing step, in these separation processes. A review of potential applications of membranes for the treatment of different process streams and effluents for water recycling and pollution control is given here. Although membranes may not be optimum in all applications, these technologies are recognized in the mining sector for the many potential advantages they can provide. 59 refs

A durable alternative for proton-exchange membranes: sulfonated poly(benzoxazole thioether sulfone)s

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Dan [Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States); Lab of PEMFC Key Materials and Technologies, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Liaoning, Dalian 116023 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China); Li, Jinhuan [Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States); College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016 (China); Song, Min-Kyu; Liu, Meilin [Center for Innovative Fuel Cell and Battery Technologies, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States); Yi, Baolian; Zhang, Huamin [Lab of PEMFC Key Materials and Technologies, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Liaoning, Dalian 116023 (China)

2011-03-18

To develop a durable proton-exchange membrane (PEM) for fuel-cell applications, a series of sulfonated poly(benzoxazole thioether sulfone)s (SPTESBOs) are designed and synthesized, with anticipated good dimensional stability (via acid-base cross linking), improved oxidative stability against free radicals (via incorporation of thioether groups), and enhanced inherent stability (via elimination of unstable end groups) of the backbone. The structures and the degree of sulfonation of the copolymers are characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ({sup 1}H NMR and {sup 19}F NMR). The electrochemical stabilities of the monomers are examined using cyclic voltammetry in a typical three-electrode cell configuration. The physicochemical properties of the membranes vital to fuel-cell performance are also carefully evaluated under conditions relevant to fuel-cell operation, including chemical and thermal stability, proton conductivity, solubility in different solvents, water uptake, and swelling ratio. The new membranes exhibit low dimensional change at 25 C to 90 C and excellent thermal stability up to 250 C. Upon elimination of unstable end groups, the co-polymers display enhanced chemical resistance and oxidative stability in Fenton's test. Further, the SPTESBO-HFB-60 (HFB-60=hexafluorobenzene, 60 mol% sulfone) membrane displays comparable fuel-cell performance to that of an NRE 212 membrane at 80 C under fully humidified condition, suggesting that the new membranes have the potential to be more durable but less expensive for fuel-cell applications. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

First scientific application of the membrane cryostat technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montanari, David; Adamowski, Mark; Baller, Bruce R.; Barger, Robert K.; Chi, Edward C.; Davis, Ronald P.; Johnson, Bryan D.; Kubinski, Bob M.; Najdzion, John J.; Rucinski, Russel A.; Schmitt, Rich L.; Tope, Terry E. [Particle Physics Division, Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Mahoney, Ryan; Norris, Barry L.; Watkins, Daniel J. [Technical Division, Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); McCluskey, Elaine G. [LBNE Project, Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Stewart, James [Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, P.O. Box 5000, Uptown, NY 11973 (United States)

2014-01-29

We report on the design, fabrication, performance and commissioning of the first membrane cryostat to be used for scientific application. The Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) has designed and fabricated a membrane cryostat prototype in collaboration with IHI Corporation (IHI). Original goals of the prototype are: to demonstrate the membrane cryostat technology in terms of thermal performance, feasibility for liquid argon, and leak tightness; to demonstrate that we can remove all the impurities from the vessel and achieve the purity requirements in a membrane cryostat without evacuation and using only a controlled gaseous argon purge; to demonstrate that we can achieve and maintain the purity requirements of the liquid argon during filling, purification, and maintenance mode using mole sieve and copper filters from the Liquid Argon Purity Demonstrator (LAPD) R and D project. The purity requirements of a large liquid argon detector such as LBNE are contaminants below 200 parts per trillion oxygen equivalent. This paper gives the requirements, design, construction, and performance of the LBNE membrane cryostat prototype, with experience and results important to the development of the LBNE detector.

Recent activities on water detritiation technology in JAEA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwai, Yasunori, E-mail: iwai.yasunori@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Kubo, Hitoshi; Ohshima, Yusuke; Noguchi, Hiroshi; Taniuchi, Junichi [Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K., Wadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 300-4247 (Japan)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Water detritiation technology has been developed for the Japanese fusion DEMO plant. • Durability of an ion exchange membrane was checked with concentrated tritiated water. • Hydrophobic catalyst of SiO{sub 2} substrate has been developed for water detritiation. - Abstract: Japan Atomic Energy Agency has developed the water detritiation technology for CECE process considering the escalation in quantity and tritium concentration of tritiated water to be processed toward realization of the Japanese fusion DEMO plant. A commercial ion exchange perfluoro-membrane for concentrated tritiated water electrolyzer is durable against irradiation up to 1500 kGy in view of mechanical strength and ion exchange capacity. Concerning hydrophobic catalyst for LPCE column, a new method of manufacturing catalysts involving hydrophobic processing with an inorganic substance base has been developed. The catalyst created with this method has achieved the highest exchange efficiency, equivalent to 1.3 times the previously most powerful efficiency.

Study of Membrane Reflector Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Knapp, K.; Hedgepeth, J.

1979-01-01

Very large reflective surfaces are required by future spacecraft for such purposes as solar energy collection, antenna surfaces, thermal control, attitude and orbit control with solar pressure, and solar sailing. The performance benefits in large membrane reflector systems, which may be derived from an advancement of this film and related structures technology, are identified and qualified. The results of the study are reported and summarized. Detailed technical discussions of various aspects of the study are included in several separate technical notes which are referenced.

Precision Membrane Optical Shell (PMOS) Technology for Lightweight LIDAR Apertures, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Precision membrane optical shell (PMOS) technology is an innovative combination of 1) ultra lightweight optically smooth membrane thin films, 2) advanced mold based...

Polymers application in proton exchange membranes for fuel cells (PEMFCs)

Science.gov (United States)

Walkowiak-Kulikowska, Justyna; Wolska, Joanna; Koroniak, Henryk

2017-07-01

This review presents the most important research on alternative polymer membranes with ionic groups attached, provides examples of materials with a well-defined chemical structure that are described in the literature. Furthermore, it elaborates on the synthetic methods used for preparing PEMs, the current status of fuel cell technology and its application. It also briefly discusses the development of the PEMFC market.

Highly stable pyridinium-functionalized cross-linked anion exchange membranes for all vanadium redox flow batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, L.; Zhao, T. S.; Wei, L.; Zeng, Y. K.; Zhang, Z. H.

2016-11-01

It has recently been demonstrated that the use of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) can reduce the migration of vanadium ions through the membrane due to the Donnan exclusion effect among the positively charged functional groups and vanadium ions. However, AEMs are plagued by low chemical stability in harsh chemical environments. Here we propose and fabricate a pyridinium-functionalized cross-linked AEM for VRFBs. The pyridinium-functionalized bromomethylated poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) exhibits a superior chemical stability as a result of the strengthened internal cross-linking networks and the chemical inertness of the polymer backbone. Therefore, the membrane exhibits littler decay in a harsh environment for 20 days during the course of an ex situ immersion test. A cycling test also demonstrates that the VRFB assembled with the membrane enable to retain 80% of the initial discharge capacity over 537 cycles with a capacity decay rate of 0.037% cycle-1. Meanwhile, the membrane also shows a low vanadium permeability and a reasonably high conductivity in supporting electrolytes. Hence, all the measurements and performance tests reported in this work suggest that the membrane is a promising AEM for redox flow batteries to achieve excellent cycling stability and superior cell performance.

The development of zirconia membrane oxygen separation technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiacchi, F.T.; Badwal, S.P.S.; Velizko, V.

2000-01-01

The oxygen separation technology based on ceramic membranes constructed from stabilised zirconia is currently under development for applications ranging from oxygen generation or air enrichment for medical use to control of oxygen concentration or oxygen removal from gas streams and enclosures for semiconductor, food packaging and process control instrumentation industries. The technology is based on a rugged tubular design with extensive thermal cycling capability. Several single and three tube devices have been operated for periods up to 5000h. An eight tube module, as a building block for larger scale oxygen production or removal devices, has been constructed and is being evaluated. In this paper, the construction of the device, oxygen generating capacity, life time tests and performance of the ceramic membrane device under development at CSIRO will be discussed. Copyright (2000) The Australian Ceramic Society

Proton-Conducting Sulfonated and Phosphonated Polymers and Fuel Cell Membranes by Chemical Modification of Polysulfones

OpenAIRE

Lafitte, Benoit

2007-01-01

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is currently emerging as an efficient and environmentally friendly power source. The technology is very complex and relies ultimately on materials and components which need further development. One of the major hurdles for advancing the PEMFC technology is currently the demand for new durable low-cost polymeric membranes that will allow fuel cell operation at high temperatures without extensive humidification requirements. Thus, the design and pr...

Ion transport Modeling in a Bipolar Membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Soo; Park, Kwang Heon; Kim, Kwang Wook

2010-01-01

The COL(Carbonate-based Oxidative Leaching) process is an environmentally-friendly technique for collecting only uranium from spent fuel with oxidation leaching/ precipitation of carbonate solution. The bipolar membrane used for the electrolyte circulation of the salt used in the COL process is a special form of ion exchange membrane which combines CEM(cation exchange membrane) and AEM(anion exchange membrane). After arranging positive ion exchange layer toward negative terminal and positive ion exchange layer toward positive terminal, then supply electricity, water molecules are decomposed into protons and hydroxyl ions by a strong electric field in the transition region inside bipolar membrane.1) In this study, a theoretical approach to increase the efficiency of Na + and NO3 - ion collecting device using bipolar membrane was taken and simulating using the COMSOL program was tried. The details of results are also discussed

Cables, Sharks and Servers: Technology and the Geography of the Foreign Exchange Market

OpenAIRE

Eichengreen, Barry; Lafarguette, Romain; Mehl, Arnaud

2016-01-01

We analyze the impact of technology on production and trade in services, focusing on the foreign exchange market. We identify exogenous technological changes by the connection of countries to submarine fiber-optic cables used for electronic trading, but which were not laid for purposes related to the foreign exchange market. We estimate the impact of cable connections on the share of offshore foreign exchange transactions. Cable connections between local markets and matching servers in the ma...

Effect of sulfonated carbon nanofiber-supported Pt on performance of Nafion {sup registered} -based self-humidifying composite membrane for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hung, T.F. [Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Rd., Chung-Li, 32023 (China); Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617 (China); Liao, S.H.; Li, C.Y.; Chen-Yang, Y.W. [Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanotechnology, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Rd., Chung-Li, 32023 (China)

2011-01-01

In the present study, the Nafion {sup registered} -based self-humidifying composite membrane (N-SHCM) with sulfonated carbon nanofiber-supported Pt (s-Pt/CNF) catalyst, N-s-Pt/CNF, is successfully prepared using the solution-casting method. The scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) images of N-s-Pt/CNF indicate that s-Pt/CNF is well dispersed in the Nafion {sup registered} matrix due to the good compatibility between Nafion {sup registered} and s-Pt/CNF. Compared with those of the non-sulfonated Pt/CNF-containing N-SHCM, N-Pt/CNF, the properties of N-s-Pt/CNF, including electronic resistivity, ion-exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake, dimensional stability, and catalytic activity, significantly increase. The maximum power density of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) fabricated with N-s-Pt/CNF operated at 50 C under dry H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} condition is about 921 mW cm{sup -2}, which is approximately 34% higher than that with N-Pt/CNF. (author)

A green approach for preparing anion exchange membrane based on cardo polyetherketone powders

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jue; Zhang, Chengxu; Zhang, Xiaodong; Chen, Longwei; Jiang, Lin; Meng, Yuedong; Wang, Xiangke

2014-12-01

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) have attracted great attention due to their irreplaceable role in platinum-free fuel cell applications. The majority of AEM preparations have been performed in two steps: the grafting of functional groups and quaternization. Here, we adopted a simpler, more eco-friendly approach for the first time to prepare AEMs by atmospheric-pressure plasma-grafting. This approach enables the direct introduction of anion exchange groups (benzyltrimethylammonium groups) into the polymer matrix, overcoming the need for toxic chloromethyl ether and quaternization reagents. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and 1H NMR spectroscopy results demonstrate that benzyltrimethylammonium groups have been successfully grafted into the cardo polyetherketone (PEK-C) matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the plasma-grafting technique is a facile and non-destructive method able to improve the thermal stability of the polymer matrix due to the strong preservation of the PEK-C backbone structure and the cross-linking of the grafted side chains. The plasma-grafted PG-NOH membrane, which shows satisfactory alcohol resistance (ethanol permeability of 6.3 × 10-7 cm2 s-1), selectivity (1.2 × 104 S s cm-3), thermal stability (safely used below 130 °C), chemical stability, anion conductivity (7.7 mS cm-1 at 20 °C in deionized water) and mechanical properties is promising for the construction of high-performance fuel cells.

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Modelling Using Moving Least Squares Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radu Tirnovan

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, with low polluting emissions, is a great alternative to replace the traditional electrical power sources for automotive applications or for small stationary consumers. This paper presents a numerical method, for the fuel cell modelling, based on moving least squares (MLS. Experimental data have been used for developing an approximated model of the PEMFC function of the current density, air inlet pressure and operating temperature of the fuel cell. The method can be applied for modelling others fuel cell sub-systems, such as the compressor. The method can be used for off-line or on-line identification of the PEMFC stack.

Photosynthetic solar cell using nanostructured proton exchange membrane for microbial biofilm prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dong Hyun; Oh, Hwa Jin; Bai, Seoung Jae; Song, Young Seok

2014-06-24

Unwanted biofilm formation has a detrimental effect on bioelectrical energy harvesting in microbial cells. This issue still needs to be solved for higher power and longer durability and could be resolved with the help of nanoengineering in designing and manufacturing. Here, we demonstrate a photosynthetic solar cell (PSC) that contains a nanostructure to prevent the formation of biofilm by micro-organisms. Nanostructures were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography, where a film heater array system was introduced to precisely control the local wall temperature. To understand the heat and mass transfer phenomena behind the manufacturing and energy harvesting processes of PSC, we carried out a numerical simulation and experimental measurements. It revealed that the nanostructures developed on the proton exchange membrane enable PSC to produce enhanced output power due to the retarded microbial attachment on the Nafion membrane. We anticipate that this strategy can provide a pathway where PSC can ensure more renewable, sustainable, and efficient energy harvesting performance.

Design of flow-field patterns for proton exchange membrane fuel cell application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosli, M.I.; Wan Ramli Wan Daud; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Jaafar Sahari

2006-01-01

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that produce electricity at high efficiency without combustion. Fuel cells are emerging as viable candidates as power sources in many applications, including road vehicles, small-scale power stations, and possibly even portable electronics. This paper addresses the design of flow-field patterns for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The PEMFC is a low-temperature fuel cell, in which a proton conductive polymer membrane is used as the electrolyte. In PEMFC, flow-field pattern is one important thing that effects the performance of PEMFC. This paper present three types of flow-field pattern that will be consider to be testing using CFD analysis and by experimental. The design look detail on to their shape and dimension to get the best pattern in term of more active electrode area compare to electrode area that will be used. Another advantage and disadvantage for these three type of flow-field patterns from literature also compared in this paper

Modeling electrochemical performance in large scale proton exchange membrane fuel cell stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, J H [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Lalk, T R [Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Appleby, A J [Center for Electrochemical Studies and Hydrogen Research, Texas Engineering Experimentation Station, Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

1998-02-01

The processes, losses, and electrical characteristics of a Membrane-Electrode Assembly (MEA) of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) are described. In addition, a technique for numerically modeling the electrochemical performance of a MEA, developed specifically to be implemented as part of a numerical model of a complete fuel cell stack, is presented. The technique of calculating electrochemical performance was demonstrated by modeling the MEA of a 350 cm{sup 2}, 125 cell PEMFC and combining it with a dynamic fuel cell stack model developed by the authors. Results from the demonstration that pertain to the MEA sub-model are given and described. These include plots of the temperature, pressure, humidity, and oxygen partial pressure distributions for the middle MEA of the modeled stack as well as the corresponding current produced by that MEA. The demonstration showed that models developed using this technique produce results that are reasonable when compared to established performance expectations and experimental results. (orig.)

Anion exchange membranes based on terminally crosslinked methyl morpholinium-functionalized poly(arylene ether sulfone)s

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Sohyun; Rao, Anil H. N.; Kim, Tae-Hyun

2018-01-01

Azide-assisted terminal crosslinking of methyl morpholinium-functionalized poly(arylene ether sulfone) block copolymers yields products (xMM-PESs) suitable for use as anion exchange membranes. By combining the advantages of bulky morpholinium conductors and our unique polymer network crosslinked only at the termini of the polymer chains, we can produce AEMs that after the crosslinking show minimal loss in conductivity, yet with dramatically reduced water uptake. Terminal crosslinking also significantly increases the thermal, mechanical and chemical stability levels of the membranes. A high ion conductivity of 73.4 mS cm-1 and low water uptake of 26.1% at 80 °C are obtained for the crosslinked membrane with higher amount of hydrophilic composition, denoted as xMM-PES-1.5-1. In addition, the conductivity of the crosslinked xMM-PES-1.5-1 membrane exceeds that of its non-crosslinked counterpart (denoted as MM-PES-1.5-1) above 60 °C at 95% relative humidity because of its enhanced water retention capacity caused by the terminally-crosslinked structure.

Investigation of water distribution in proton exchange membrane fuel cells via Terahertz imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thamboon, P.; Buaphad, P.; Thongbai, C.; Saisud, J.; Kusoljariyakul, K.; Rhodes, M.W.; Vilaithong, T.

2011-01-01

Coherent transition radiation in a THz regime generated from a femtosecond electron bunch is explored for its potential use in imaging applications. Due to water sensitivity, the THz imaging experiment is performed on a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) to assess the ability to quantify water in the flow field of the cell. In this investigation, the PEMFC design and the experimental setup for the THz imaging is described. The results of the THz images in the flow field are also discussed.

Dynamic Model of the High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack Temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Søren Juhl; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2009-01-01

The present work involves the development of a model for predicting the dynamic temperature of a high temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) fuel cell stack. The model is developed to test different thermal control strategies before implementing them in the actual system. The test system co...... elements for start-up, heat conduction through stack insulation, cathode air convection, and heating of the inlet gases in the manifold. Various measurements are presented to validate the model predictions of the stack temperatures....

Technological development and prospect of alkaline fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng Ni; Michael KH Leung; Dennis YC Leung

2006-01-01

This paper reviewed the technological development of alkaline fuel cell (AFC). Although the technology was popular in 1970's and 1980's, there has been a decline in AFC research over the past decade, mainly due to the poisoning of CO 2 . Continuous efforts have demonstrated that CO 2 concentration could be reduced to an acceptable level by a number of viable methods such as absorption, adsorption, electrochemical process, electrolyte circulation, use of liquid hydrogen, and use of solid anionic exchange membranes. Literature survey showed that AFC lifetime could achieve up to 5000 hours. In addition, the use of ammonia as a fuel for AFC was identified as a promising technology. Comparison between AFC and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was presented to evaluate the AFC technology and its economics. The present review and assessment showed the promise of AFC for the coming hydrogen economy and sustainable development. (authors)

Membrane Materials and Technology for Xylene Isomers Separation and Isomerization via Pervaporation

KAUST Repository

Bilaus, Rakan

2014-01-01

technology’s high energy intensity has become a growing concern. Membrane separation technology is a potential low-energy alternative. Polymeric membranes were investigated in a pervaporation experiment to separate xylene isomers. Polymers of intrinsic

Compact modeling of a telecom back-up unit powered by air-cooled proton exchange membrane fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gao, Xin; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2018-01-01

Applications of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC’s) are expanding in portable, automotive and stationary markets. One promising application is the back-up power for telecommunication applications in remote areas where usually air-cooled PMEFC’s are used. An air-cooled PEMFC system is much...

HOGEN{trademark} proton exchange membrane hydrogen generators: Commercialization of PEM electrolyzers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, W.F.; Molter, T.M. [Proton Energy Systems, Inc., Rocky Hill, CT (United States)

1997-12-31

PROTON Energy Systems` new HOGEN series hydrogen generators are Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) based water electrolyzers designed to generate 300 to 1000 Standard Cubic Feet Per Hour (SCFH) of high purity hydrogen at pressures up to 400 psi without the use of mechanical compressors. This paper will describe technology evolution leading to the HOGEN, identify system design performance parameters and describe the physical packaging and interfaces of HOGEN systems. PEM electrolyzers have served US and UK Navy and NASA needs for many years in a variety of diverse programs including oxygen generators for life support applications. In the late 1970`s these systems were advocated for bulk hydrogen generation through a series of DOE sponsored program activities. During the military buildup of the 1980`s commercial deployment of PEM hydrogen generators was de-emphasized as priority was given to new Navy and NASA PEM electrolysis systems. PROTON Energy Systems was founded in 1996 with the primary corporate mission of commercializing PEM hydrogen generators. These systems are specifically designed and priced to meet the needs of commercial markets and produced through manufacturing processes tailored to these applications. The HOGEN series generators are the first step along the path to full commercial deployment of PEM electrolyzer products for both industrial and consumer uses. The 300/1000 series are sized to meet the needs of the industrial gases market today and provide a design base that can transition to serve the needs of a decentralized hydrogen infrastructure tomorrow.

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell/Supercapasitor Hybrid Power Management System for a Golf Cart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Afiqah Abd Hamid; Ros Emilia Rosli; Edy Herianto Majlan; Wan Ramli Wan Daud; Ramizi Mohamed; Ramli Sitanggang

2016-01-01

This paper presented the transformation of a golf cart system powered lead acid battery into an environmental friendly hybrid vehicle. The design developed by using an advantage contributes by the uprising alternative power source candidate which is Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and the maintenance free energy storage device, a supercapacitor (SC). The fuel cell (FC) stack was an in house manufactured with 450 W (36 V, 12.5 A) power, while the SC was from Maxwell Technologies (48 V, 165 F). This two power sources were controlled by the mechanical relay, meanwhile the reactant (hydrogen) are control by mass flow controller (MFC) both signaled by a National Instrument (NI) devices. The power management controller are programmed in the LabVIEW environment and then downloaded to the NI devices. The experimental result of the power trend was compared before and after the transformation with the same route to validate the effectiveness of the proposed power management strategy. The power management successfully controls the power sharing between power sources and satisfies the load transient. While the reactant control managed to vary the hydrogen mass flow rate feed according to the load demand in vehicular applications. (author)

Membrane electrode assembly with doped polyaniline interlayer for proton exchange membrane fuel cells under low relative humidity conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cindrella, L. [Fuel Cell Research Lab, Engineering Technology Department, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212 (United States); Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu 620015 (India); Kannan, A.M. [Fuel Cell Research Lab, Engineering Technology Department, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212 (United States)

2009-09-05

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was designed by incorporating an interlayer between the catalyst layer and the gas diffusion layer (GDL) to improve the low relative humidity (RH) performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). On the top of the micro-porous layer of the GDL, a thin layer of doped polyaniline (PANI) was deposited to retain moisture content in order to maintain the electrolyte moist, especially when the fuel cell is working at lower RH conditions, which is typical for automotive applications. The surface morphology and wetting angle characteristics of the GDLs coated with doped PANI samples were examined using FESEM and Goniometer, respectively. The surface modified GDLs fabricated into MEAs were evaluated in single cell PEMFC between 50 and 100% RH conditions using H{sub 2} and O{sub 2} as reactants at ambient pressure. It was observed that the MEA with camphor sulfonic acid doped PANI interlayer showed an excellent fuel cell performance at all RH conditions including that at 50% at 80 C using H{sub 2} and O{sub 2}. (author)

Examining hemodialyzer membrane performance using proteomic technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonomini M

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Mario Bonomini,1 Luisa Pieroni,2 Lorenzo Di Liberato,1 Vittorio Sirolli,1 Andrea Urbani2,3 1Department of Medicine, G. d’Annunzio University, Chieti, 2Proteomic and Metabonomic Units, IRCCS S. Lucia Foundation, Rome, 3Faculty of Medicine, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry Institute, Catholic University of the “Sacred Heart”, Rome, Italy Abstract: The success and the quality of hemodialysis therapy are mainly related to both clearance and biocompatibility properties of the artificial membrane packed in the hemodialyzer. Performance of a membrane is strongly influenced by its interaction with the plasma protein repertoire during the extracorporeal procedure. Recognition that a number of medium–high molecular weight solutes, including proteins and protein-bound molecules, are potentially toxic has prompted the development of more permeable membranes. Such membrane engineering, however, may cause loss of vital proteins, with membrane removal being nonspecific. In addition, plasma proteins can be adsorbed onto the membrane surface upon blood contact during dialysis. Adsorption can contribute to the removal of toxic compounds and governs the biocompatibility of a membrane, since surface-adsorbed proteins may trigger a variety of biologic blood pathways with pathophysiologic consequences. Over the last years, use of proteomic approaches has allowed polypeptide spectrum involved in the process of hemodialysis, a key issue previously hampered by lack of suitable technology, to be assessed in an unbiased manner and in its full complexity. Proteomics has been successfully applied to identify and quantify proteins in complex mixtures such as dialysis outflow fluid and fluid desorbed from dialysis membrane containing adsorbed proteins. The identified proteins can also be characterized by their involvement in metabolic and signaling pathways, molecular networks, and biologic processes through application of bioinformatics tools. Proteomics may

The recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Xiulian; Wei Qifeng; Hu Surong; Wei Sijie

2010-01-01

This paper reports the optimization of the process parameters for recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. The experiments were carried out in an ammoniacal ammonium chloride system. The influence of composition of electrolytes, pH, stirring rate, current density and temperature, on cathodic current efficiency, specific power consumption and anodic dissolution of Zn were investigated. The results indicate that the cathode current efficiency increases and the hydrogen evolution decreased with increasing the cathode current density. The partial current for electrodeposition of Zn has liner relationship with ω 1/2 (ω: rotation rate). The highest current efficiency for dissolving zinc was obtained when NH 4 Cl concentration was 53.46 g L -1 and the anodic dissolution of zinc was determined by mass transfer rate at stirring rate 0-300 r min -1 . Increase in temperature benefits to improve CE and dissolution of Zn, and reduce cell voltage. Initial pH of electrolytes plays an important role in the deposition and anodic dissolution of Zn. The results of single factor experiment show that about 50% energy consumption was saved for electrodeposition of Zn in the anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor.

Commercialization of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goel, N.; Pant, A.; Sera, G.

1995-01-01

The MCTTC performed a market assessment for PEM Fuel Cells for terrestrial applications for the Center for Space Power (CSP). The purpose of the market assessment was to gauge the market and commercial potential for PEM fuel cell technology. Further, the market assessment was divided into subsections of technical and market overview, competitive environment, political environment, barriers to market entry, and keys to market entry. The market assessment conducted by the MCTTC involved both secondary and primary research. The primary target markets for PEM fuel cells were transportation and utilities in the power range of 10 kW to 100 kW. The fuel cell vehicle market size was estimated under a pessimistic scenario and an optimistic scenario. The estimated size of the fuel cell vehicle market in dollar terms for the year 2005 is $17.3 billion for the pessimistic scenario and $34.7 billion for the optimistic scenario. The fundamental and applied research funded and conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and DOE in the area of fuel cells presents an excellent opportunity to commercialize dual-use technology and enhance U.S. business competitiveness. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Bicarbonate sulfate exchange in canalicular rat liver plasma membrane vesicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, P.J.; Valantinas, J.; Hugentobler, G.; Rahm, I.

1987-01-01

The mechanism(s) and driving forces for biliary excretion of sulfate were investigated in canalicular rat liver plasma membrane vesicles (cLPM). Incubation of cLPM vesicles in the presence of an inside-to-outside (in, out) bicarbonate gradient but not pH or out-to-in sodium gradients, stimulated sulfate uptake 10-fold compared with the absence of bicarbonate and approximately 2-fold above sulfate equilibrium (overshoot). Initial rates of this bicarbonate gradient-driven [ 35 S]-sulfate uptake were saturable with increasing concentrations of sulfate and could be inhibited by probenecid, N-(4-azido-2-nitrophenyl)-2-aminoethylsulfonate, acetazolamide, furosemide, 4-acetamideo-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, and 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (IC 50 , ∼40 μM). Cisinhibition of initial bicarbonate gradient-stimulated sulfate uptake and transstimulation of sulfate uptake in the absence of bicarbonate were observed with sulfate, thiosulfate, and oxalate but not with chloride, nitrate, phosphate, acetate, lactate, glutamate, aspartate, cholate, taurocholate, dehydrocholate, taurodehydrocholate, and reduced or oxidized glutathione. These findings indicate the presence of a sulfate (oxalate)-bicarbonate anion exchange system in canalicular rat liver plasma membranes. These findings support the concept that bicarbonate-sensitive transport system might play an important role in bile acid-independent canalicular bile formation

Development and Validation of a Simple Analytical Model of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (Pemfc) in a Fork-Lift Truck Power System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hosseinzadeh, Elham; Rokni, Masoud

2013-01-01

In this study, a general proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model has been developed in order to investigate the balance of plant of a fork-lift truck thermodynamically. The model takes into account the effects of pressure losses, water crossovers, humidity aspects, and voltage overpotent......In this study, a general proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model has been developed in order to investigate the balance of plant of a fork-lift truck thermodynamically. The model takes into account the effects of pressure losses, water crossovers, humidity aspects, and voltage...

A photoactivatable probe for the Na+/H+ exchanger cross-links a 66-kDa renal brush border membrane protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, W.; Bertrand, W.; Morrison, A.

1990-01-01

Earlier studies on LLC-PK1 cells have demonstrated two pharmacologically distinct Na+/H+ exchangers in renal epithelia. In addition, the cDNA clone for the human Na+/H+ antiporter which is growth factor activatable has been isolated and expressed. We report here the synthesis of an amiloride analogue that can be photoactivated and labeled with 125I. This analogue covalently cross-links a 66-kDa protein of bovine renal brush border membranes. A rabbit polyclonal antibody that was directed against a 20-amino acid peptide of the cytoplasmic domain of its human Na+/H+ antiporter also gives a positive Western against 66-kDa protein of bovine brush border membranes. Thus, the photoactive probe may be helpful in the isolation and purification of the brush border Na+/H+ exchanger

Comprehensive Study on Ceramic Membranes for Low‐Cost Microbial Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pasternak, Grzegorz; Greenman, John

2016-01-01

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) made with different types of ceramic membranes were investigated to find a low‐cost alternative to commercially available proton exchange membranes. The MFCs operated with fresh human urine as the fuel. Pyrophyllite and earthenware produced the best performance to reach power densities of 6.93 and 6.85 W m−3, respectively, whereas mullite and alumina achieved power densities of 4.98 and 2.60 W m−3, respectively. The results indicate the dependence of bio‐film growth and activity on the type of ceramic membrane applied. The most favourable conditions were created in earthenware MFCs. The performance of the ceramic membranes was related to their physical and chemical properties determined by environmental scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The cost of mullite, earthenware, pyrophyllite and alumina was estimated to be 13.61, 4.14, 387.96 and 177.03 GBP m−2, respectively. The results indicate that earthenware and mullite are good substitutes for commercially available proton exchange membranes, which makes the MFC technology accessible in developing countries. PMID:26692569

Anhydrous proton exchange membrane of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) enabled by polydopamine-modified silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jingtao; Bai, Huijuan; Zhang, Haoqin; Zhao, Liping; Chen, Huiling; Li, Yifan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The concept of acid/base pairs was employed to design anhydrous PEMs. • Polydopamine-modified silica particles were uniformly dispersed in SPEEK membrane. • The membranes displayed enhancement in both stability and anhydrous proton conductivity. - Abstract: Novel anhydrous proton exchange membrane is (PEM) facilely prepared by embedding dopamine-modified silica nanoparticles (DSiOis 2 ) into sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) polymer matrix. DSiO 2 bearing -NH 2 /-NH- groups are synthesized inspired by the bioadhesion principle, which are uniformly dispersed within SPEEK membrane due to the good interfacial compatibility. The interfacial electrostatic attractions render unique rearrangement of the nanophase-separated structure and the chain packing of the resultant hybrid membranes. As a result, the thermal and mechanical stabilities as well as structural stability of the hybrid membranes are enhanced when compared to SPEEK control membrane. On the other hand, induced by the attractions, acid–base pairs are formed at the SPEEK/DSiOarewere 2 interface, where fast proton transfer via Grotthuss mechanism is expected. These features confer much higher proton conductivities on the DSiO 2 -filled membranes under both hydrated and anhydrous conditions, compared to those of the SPEEK control membrane and SiO 2 -filled membranes. Particularly, the hybrid membrane with 15 wt% DSiO 2 achieve the highest conductivities of 4.52achieveachieved × 10 −3 S cm −1 at 120 °C under anhydrous condition, which is much higher than the SPEEK control membrane and the commercial Nafion membrane (0.1iswas × 10 −3 S cm −1 ). The membrane with 9 wt% DSiO 2 show an open cell potential of 0.98showshowed V and an optimum power density of 111.7 mW cm −2 , indicative of its potential application in fuel cell under anhydrous condition

Partially fluorinated electrospun proton exchange membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2016-01-01

The present invention relates to a novel porous membrane layer, to a novel method for producing a membrane, and the membranes produced by the novel method. The present invention further relates to a fuel cell comprising the porous layer, as well as any use of the porous layer in a fuel cell or in...... copolymer, and wherein at least one side chain of the graft copolymer comprises a polymerization product of a polymerizable proton donor group or a precursor thereof....

International Symposium for the Promotion of APEC Environmental Technology Exchange; APEC kankyo gijutsu koryu sokushin symposium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-11-11

The International Symposium for the Promotion of APEC Environmental Technology Exchange was held under the theme `The function and role expected of the APEC Virtual Center,` with the objectives of clarifying the need for future intra-regional environmental technological exchange, defining the types of information and personnel exchange, and promoting the use of interactive character of the APEC Virtual Center for Environmental Technology Exchange by encouraging access to and participation in the Virtual Center project. It was held in the period of 11th and 12th, November in 1996, at the venue of Rinku International Convention Center in Osaka. The symposium was attended by 477 persons from nine countries, i.e., Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, the US, and Japan, comprising staff members of intra-regional environment-related organizations. After the keynote speech, `Current status and tasks of environmental technology exchange`, and `Expected roles of the Virtual Center for Environmental Technology Exchange` were discussed. During the plenary session, the chairman summarized the symposium. This summary was carried on the Virtual Center homepage of the Internet

Nafion/Silicon Oxide Composite Membrane for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membranes were produced via in situ sol-gel reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in Nafion membranes. The physicochemical properties of the membranes were studied by FT-IR, TG-DSC and tensile strength. The results show that the silicon oxide is compatible with the Nafion membrane and the thermo stability of Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane is higher than that of Nafion membrane. Furthermore, the tensile strength of Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane is similar to that of the Nafion membrane. The proton conductivity of Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane is higher than that of Nafion membrane. When the Nafion/Silicon oxide composite membrane was employed as an electrolyte in H2/O2 PEMFC, a higher current density value (1 000 mA/cm2 at 0.38 V) than that of the Nafion 1135 membrane (100 mA/cm2 at 0.04 V) was obtained at 110 ℃.

Direct sorbitol proton exchange membrane fuel cell using moderate catalyst loadings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyarce, Alejandro; Gonzalez, Carlos; Lima, Raquel Bohn; Lindström, Rakel Wreland; Lagergren, Carina; Lindbergh, Göran

2014-01-01

Highlights: •The performance of a direct sorbitol fuel cell was evaluated at different temperatures. •The performance was compared to the performance of a direct glucose fuel cell. •The mass specific peak power density of the direct sorbitol fuel cell was 3.6 mW mg −1 totalcatalystloading at 80 °C. •Both sorbitol and glucose fuel cell suffer from deactivation. -- Abstract: Recent progress in biomass hydrolysis has made it interesting to study the use of sorbitol for electricity generation. In this study, sorbitol and glucose are used as fuels in proton exchange membrane fuel cells having 0.9 mg cm −2 PtRu/C at the anode and 0.3 mg cm −2 Pt/C at the cathode. The sorbitol oxidation was found to have slower kinetics than glucose oxidation. However, at low temperatures the direct sorbitol fuel cell shows higher performance than the direct glucose fuel cell, attributed to a lower degree of catalyst poisoning. The performance of both fuel cells is considerably improved at higher temperatures. High temperatures lower the poisoning, allowing the direct glucose fuel cell to reach a higher performance than the direct sorbitol fuel cell. The mass specific peak power densities of the direct sorbitol and direct glucose fuel cells at 65 °C was 3.2 mW mg −1 catalyst and 3.5 mW mg −1 catalyst , respectively. Both of these values are one order of magnitude larger than mass specific peak power densities of earlier reported direct glucose fuel cells using proton exchange membranes. Furthermore, both the fuel cells showed a considerably decrease in performance with time, which is partially attributed to sorbitol and glucose crossover poisoning the Pt/C cathode

A group decision-making tool for the application of membrane technologies in different water reuse scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadr, S M K; Saroj, D P; Kouchaki, S; Ilemobade, A A; Ouki, S K

2015-06-01

A global challenge of increasing concern is diminishing fresh water resources. A growing practice in many communities to supplement diminishing fresh water availability has been the reuse of water. Novel methods of treating polluted waters, such as membrane assisted technologies, have recently been developed and successfully implemented in many places. Given the diversity of membrane assisted technologies available, the current challenge is how to select a reliable alternative among numerous technologies for appropriate water reuse. In this research, a fuzzy logic based multi-criteria, group decision making tool has been developed. This tool has been employed in the selection of appropriate membrane treatment technologies for several non-potable and potable reuse scenarios. Robust criteria, covering technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects, were selected, while 10 different membrane assisted technologies were assessed in the tool. The results show this approach capable of facilitating systematic and rigorous analysis in the comparison and selection of membrane assisted technologies for advanced wastewater treatment and reuse. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Effect of Clamping Pressure and Method on the Current Mapping of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Al Shakhshir, Saher; Zhou, Fan; Kær, Søren Knudsen

The degradation of the electrochemical reaction of the proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) can be characterized using in-situ current mapping measurements (CMM). CMM is significantly affected by the amount of clamping pressure and method. In this work the current is mapped...

Laser Processed Condensing Heat Exchanger Technology Development

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Scott; Wright, Sarah; Wallace, Sarah; Hamilton, Tanner; Dennis, Alexander; Zuhlke, Craig; Roth, Nick; Sanders, John

2017-01-01

The reliance on non-permanent coatings in Condensing Heat Exchanger (CHX) designs is a significant technical issue to be solved before long-duration spaceflight can occur. Therefore, high reliability CHXs have been identified by the Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC) as critical technologies needed to move beyond low earth orbit. The Laser Processed Condensing Heat Exchanger project aims to solve these problems through the use of femtosecond laser processed surfaces, which have unique wetting properties and potentially exhibit anti-microbial growth properties. These surfaces were investigated to identify if they would be suitable candidates for a replacement CHX surface. Among the areas researched in this project include microbial growth testing, siloxane flow testing in which laser processed surfaces were exposed to siloxanes in an air stream, and manufacturability.

Comparative techno-economical study between membrane technology systems for obtaining concentrated fertilizers from biogas plant effluents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Camilleri Rumbau, Maria Salud; Norddahl, Birgir; Kjærhus Nielsen, Anne

2013-01-01

Membrane technology is a promising candidate for producing mineral fertilizers from animal slurry. This paper presents a combination of membrane technologies for processing digested slurry, lists retentions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and evaluates the economic and technolog...

Radiolytic preparation of ETFE and PFA based anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Beom-Seok; Sohn, Joon-Yong; Nho, Young-Chang; Shin, Junhwa

2011-01-01

In this study, a versatile monomer, vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) was radiolytically grafted onto a partially fluorinated ETFE and perfluorinated polymer PFA films. The VBC grafted films were treated with trimethylamine to prepare the alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs). No significant differences in the ion exchange capacities and water uptakes were observed between the ETFE and PFA based AAEMs with similar degree of grafting (DOG). However, the distribution patterns of the graft chains over the cross-section of the ETFE and PFA based AAEMs were found to be quite different; the even distribution was observed from the ETFE based AAEMs while the uneven distribution was observed from the PFA based AAEMs. It was also found that the PFA based AAEMs have the higher ionic conductivity and chemical stability, compared to the ETFE based AAEMs.

Membrane technology for treating of waste nanofluids coolant: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Mohruni, Amrifan Saladin; Yuliwati, Erna; Sharif, Safian; Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi

2017-09-01

The treatment of cutting fluids wastes concerns a big number of industries, especially from the machining operations to foster environmental sustainability. Discharging cutting fluids, waste through separation technique could protect the environment and also human health in general. Several methods for the separation emulsified oils or oily wastewater have been proposed as three common methods, namely chemical, physicochemical and mechanical and membrane technology application. Membranes are used into separate and concentrate the pollutants in oily wastewater through its perm-selectivity. Meanwhile, the desire to compensate for the shortcomings of the cutting fluid media in a metal cutting operation led to introduce the using of nanofluids (NFs) in the minimum quantity lubricant (MQL) technique. NFs are prepared based on nanofluids technology by dispersing nanoparticles (NPs) in liquids. These fluids have potentially played to enhance the performance of traditional heat transfer fluids. Few researchers have studied investigation of the physical-chemical, thermo-physical and heat transfer characteristics of NFs for heat transfer applications. The use of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) technique by NFs application is developed in many metal cutting operations. MQL did not only serve as a better alternative to flood cooling during machining operation and also increases better-finished surface, reduces impact loads on the environment and fosters environmental sustainability. Waste coolant filtration from cutting tools using membrane was treated by the pretreated process, coagulation technique and membrane filtration. Nanomaterials are also applied to modify the membrane structure and morphology. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is the better choice in coolant wastewater treatment due to its hydrophobicity. Using of polyamide nanofiltration membranes BM-20D and UF-PS-100-100, 000, it resulted in the increase of permeability of waste coolant filtration. Titanium dioxide

Development of a micro-heat exchanger with stacked plates using LTCC technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Vásquez-Alvarez

2010-09-01

Full Text Available A green ceramic tape micro-heat exchanger was developed using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics technology (LTCC. The device was designed by using Computational Aided Design software and simulations were made using a Computational Fluid Dynamics package (COMSOL Multiphysics to evaluate the homogeneity of fluid distribution in the microchannels. Four geometries were proposed and simulated in two and three dimensions to show that geometric details directly affect the distribution of velocity in the micro-heat exchanger channels. The simulation results were quite useful for the design of the microfluidic device. The micro-heat exchanger was then constructed using the LTCC technology and is composed of five thermal exchange plates in cross-flow arrangement and two connecting plates, with all plates stacked to form a device with external dimensions of 26 x 26 x 6 mm³.

H3PO4 imbibed polyacrylamide-graft-chitosan frameworks for high-temperature proton exchange membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Shuangshuang; Tang, Qunwei; He, Benlin; Chen, Haiyan; Li, Qinghua; Ma, Chunqing; Jin, Suyue; Liu, Zhichao

2014-03-01

Proton exchange membrane (PEM), transferring protons from anode to cathode, is a key component in a PEM fuel cell. In the current work, a new class of PEMs are synthesized benefiting from the imbibition behavior of three-dimensional (3D) polyacrylamide-graft-chitosan (PAAm-graft-chitosan) frameworks to H3PO4 aqueous solution. Interconnected 3D framework of PAAm-graft-chitosan provides tremendous space for holding proton-conducting H3PO4. The highest anhydrous proton conductivity of 0.13 S cm-1 at 165 °C is obtained. A fuel cell using a thick membrane as a PEM showed a peak power density of 405 mW cm-2 with O2 and H2 as the oxidant and fuel, respectively. Results indicate that the interconnected 3D framework provides superhighway for proton conduction. The valued merits on anhydrous proton conductivity, huge H3PO4 loading, and easy synthesis promise the new membranes to be good alternatives as high-temperature PEMs.