(268c) Hydrocarbon Membranes Composed of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Derivatives for the Application of Fuel Cell

A polymer electrolyte membranes fuel cell are one of the most attractive power sources for a wide range of application from vehicles to portable utilities due to the stable operation at a rarely low temperature, the high energy generation yield and energy density, the simplicity of system. PVA is a water-soluble polyhydroxy polymer that is used in practical applications because of its easy preparation, excellent chemical resistance, and physical properties. In particular, PVA membrane has been used in ethanol dehydration to break the ethanol-water azeotrope because it selectively passes water molecule over ethanol or methanol. Although PVA itself dose not have the fixed charges, several organic groups like hydroxyl, amine, carboxylate, sulfonate, and quaternary ammonium can be used to impart hydrophilicity and/or ionic group. As reported earlier, very hydrophilic membranes for pervaporation were evaluated as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) in fuel cells application. In this study, crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes were prepared at various crosslinking methods containing sulfuric acid groups.