US EPA

1450401 

Journal Article 

DSC and DVS Investigation of Water Mobility in Nafion/Zeolite Composite Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications 

Mecheri, B; Felice, V; Zhang, Z; D'Epifanio, A; Licoccia, S; Tavares, AC 

2012 

Yes 

Journal of Physical Chemistry C
ISSN: 1932-7447
EISSN: 1932-7455 

116 

39 

20820-20829 

10.1021/jp301762h 

WOS:000309375700022 

Nafion/Faujasite zeolite composite membranes have been
prepared by solution casting at a zeolite content ranging from 0.98 to 21.4 wt %. The effect of
the zeolite loading on the mobility of both liquid and vapor water through the Nafion membrane
has been investigated by using two complementary techniques, that is, differential scanning
calorimetry and dynamic vapor sorption. The relationship between water mobility, proton
conductivity, and direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performance of composites is also discussed.
The addition of zeolite contributes to the enhancement of the water mobility degree in the
composite membrane due to both the surface composition of the additive and the introduction of
porosity at the polymer/filler interface. Nafion/zeolite composites having higher proton
conductivity and DMFC performance than bare Nafion can thus be fabricated by fine-tuning of the
additive content and the membrane morphology.