Journal of Power Sources, Vol.208, 176-179, 2012
Proton exchange membranes based on poly(2,5-benzimidazole) and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) for fuel cells
The blend membranes based on poly(2,5benzimidazole)(ABPBI) and sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) with different sulfonation degrees (SD) have been synthesized and characterized. These blend membranes showed increased conductivities compared with the original ABPBI membrane. After being doped by H3PO4, a maximum conductivity of 1.09 x 10(-1)S cm(-1) of ABPBI with 16% SD SPEEK membranes was achieved at 100 degrees C, which is six times than the maximum 1.8 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) for the ABPBI membrane at 120 degrees C. In the case of ABPBI with 32%SD SPEEK membranes, maximum conductivity is 3.89 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 120 degrees C, double than the maximum 1.8 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) for the ABPBI membrane at 120 degrees C. Moreover, the ABFBI-SPEEK blend membranes exhibited higher thermal stability and acid/water uptake than the original ABPBI membrane. Compared with the original ABPBI membrane, ABPBI-SPEEK membranes may be promising electrolyte membranes for fuel cells at medium/high temperature. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.