Abstract
The present work deals with the study of proton exchange membrane prepared by employing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as a novel, green, cost-effective and sustainable nano-material as reinforcer into poly (ether ether ketone) based polymer matrix. The membranes were fabricated through the solvent casting process and further evaluated by different techniques for their efficiency as suitable polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells. The presence of cellulose nanocrystals has a profound effect on the membrane properties especially on proton conduction, a crucial feature determining the performance of fuel cells. A maximum value of 0.14 S/cm at 90 °C under humid conditions was obtained for proton conductivity in the composite membranes with 4% CNC loading which is comparable to the conductivity achieved in similar conditions for Nafion.
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The authors are grateful to the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee for allowing to carry out the work and to University Grant Commission, India for financial support during the study.
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Bano, S., Ali, A., Sauraj, Negi, Y.S. (2021). Cellulose Nanocrystals Incorporated Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Application. In: Bose, M., Modi, A. (eds) Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Advances in Energy Research. Springer Proceedings in Energy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5955-6_109
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