Flexible Nanocellulose/Lignosulfonates Ion-Conducting Separators for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells
| Autor: | Daniel Muñoz-Gil, João D Morais, Filipe M.L. Figueiredo, Carla Vilela, Ana C.Q. Silva, Armando J. D. Silvestre, Carmen S. R. Freire |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Materials science
Aqueous solution General Chemical Engineering Bacterial polysaccharide biobased separators bacterial nanocellulose lignosulfonates Article mechanical performance Nanocellulose lcsh:Chemistry chemistry.chemical_compound Membrane Chemical engineering chemistry lcsh:QD1-999 ion-exchange membranes Sulfite process ionic conductivity Lignin Ionic conductivity General Materials Science Lignosulfonates thermal-oxidative stability |
| Zdroj: | Nanomaterials Nanomaterials, Vol 10, Iss 1713, p 1713 (2020) Volume 10 Issue 9 |
| ISSN: | 2079-4991 |
| Popis: | The utilization of biobased materials for the fabrication of naturally derived ion-exchange membranes is breezing a path to sustainable separators for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). In this investigation, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC, a bacterial polysaccharide) and lignosulfonates (LS, a by-product of the sulfite pulping process), were blended by diffusion of an aqueous solution of the lignin derivative and of the natural-based cross-linker tannic acid into the wet BNC nanofibrous three-dimensional structure, to produce fully biobased ion-exchange membranes. These freestanding separators exhibited good thermal-oxidative stability of up to about 200 ° C, in both inert and oxidative atmospheres (N2 and O2, respectively), high mechanical properties with a maximum Young&rsquo s modulus of around 8.2 GPa, as well as good moisture-uptake capacity with a maximum value of ca. 78% after 48 h for the membrane with the higher LS content. Moreover, the combination of the conducting LS with the mechanically robust BNC conveyed ionic conductivity to the membranes, namely a maximum of 23 mS cm&minus 1 at 94 ° C and 98% relative humidity (RH) (in-plane configuration), that increased with increasing RH. Hence, these robust water-mediated ion conductors represent an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional ion-exchange membranes for application in PEFCs. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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