방사선을 이용한 직접 메탄올 연료전지용 고분자 전해질 막 제조에 관한 연구

Abstract

In this study, we prepared sulfonated crosslinked polyphenylene oxide (PPO) membranes for fuel cells by electron beam irradiation followed by sulfonation. PPO membranes prepared by a solution casting were irradiated with electron beams at various absorption doses. Then, the irradiated membranes were sulfonated with chlorosulfonic acid under different conditions. The crosslinking degree of the irradiated membranes increased with an increasing dose up to 5 MGy above which it leveled off. The thermal and mechanical properties of the irradiated PPO membranes were considerably improved due to the formation of crosslinked networks in the PPO. The SEM-EDX results revealed that the crosslinked PPO membranes could be sulfonated uniformly in the thickness direction by adjusting the sulfonation conditions. The ion exchange capacity and proton conductivity of the sulfonated crosslinked PPO membranes were higher and methanol permeability was lower than Nafion.