Polybenzimidazoles via polyamidation: A more environmentally safe process to proton conducting membrane for hydrogen HT-PEM fuel cell

The most environmentally safe method of PBI synthesis is reported and applied in the high proton conductivity membrane production for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. [Display omitted] •Breakthrough PBI synthesis for HT-PEMFC proton-conducting membrane is suggested.•The envir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European polymer journal 2021-08, Vol.156, p.110613, Article 110613
Main Authors: Ponomarev, Igor I., Razorenov, Dmitry Y., Ponomarev, Ivan I., Volkova, Yulia A., Skupov, Kirill M., Lysova, Anna A., Yaroslavtsev, Andrey B., Modestov, Alexander D., Buzin, Mikhail I., Klemenkova, Zinaida S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Electrolytic cells
Environmental impact
High temperature
HT-PEMFC
Inorganic salts
Mechanical properties
Membranes
Phosphoric acid
Polybenzimidazole
Polybenzimidazoles
Proton conducting membrane
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Protons
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Summary:The most environmentally safe method of PBI synthesis is reported and applied in the high proton conductivity membrane production for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. [Display omitted] •Breakthrough PBI synthesis for HT-PEMFC proton-conducting membrane is suggested.•The environmentally safe method of PBI synthesis is developed.•The membrane was successfully tested in HT-PEM fuel cell.•Extremely low hydrogen crossover through the membrane at 180 °C was registered. The article presents a new environmentally safe synthetic approach towards durable polybenzimidazole proton-conducting membrane via polyamidation at ambient conditions and subsequent thermal heterocyclization of films cast from reaction solution followed by phosphoric acid doping. The method avoids exhausts, acid waste and inorganic salts, compared with the existing methods and technologies, allowing to minimize the negative environmental impact related to the process. The membrane possesses an excellent proton conductivity of 105 mS cm−1 and good mechanical properties and has been successfully tested in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. An extremely low hydrogen crossover through the membrane of 0.040 mA cm−2 at 180 °C has been registered compared with quite high 4–5 mA cm−2 for Celazole® m-PBI.
ISSN:0014-3057
1873-1945
DOI:10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110613