(418b) Research and Application of Reinforced Composite Polymer Electrolyte Membrane in Fuel Cell for Transportation Applications

A polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-reinforced perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) composite material is a cost effective alternative to the pure polymer electrolyte, which is often applied as polymer electrolyte membrane in fuel cell for transportation applications simply by infiltrating PFSA ionomer solution into porous PTFE matrix. For the membrane production, the reduction in cost and electrolyte thickness is an attractive factor, but it is still a challenge to produce the composite membranes as efficient as commercial membranes. Recent research and application activities with the reinforced composite membrane for the fuel cell applications include infiltration of the PFSA ionomer into the PTFE support, improving proton conductivity, reducing gas permeability, and addition of radical scavengers. In this talk, our recent results from these activities will be presented.