High durability and hydroxide ion conducting pore-filled anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cell applications

Abstract

A series of composite anion exchange membranes are successfully synthesized by thermal polymerization of chloromethyl monomer in a porous polyethylene (PE) substrate followed by amination with trimethylamine for alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AAEMFCs) application. These membranes exhibit excellent alkaline durability and high ionic conductivity. The resulting alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEMs) show a hydroxide conductivity up to 0.057 S cm−1 at 30 °C in deionized water and do not exhibit significant changes in the ionic conductivity and the IEC in 1 M KOH solution at 60 °C for around 1000 h. The maximum power density of 370 mW cm−2 is obtained at 50 °C for H2/O2 AAEMFC.