Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 26 No 3 (2022): 554 - 561

 

 

 

 

THE EFFECT OF MEMBRANE THICKNESS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PASSIVE DIRECT ETHANOL FUEL CELLS USING A POLY VINYL ALCOHOL/GRAPHENE OXIDE COMPOSITE MEMBRANE

 

(Kesan Ketebalan Membran Terhadap Prestasi Sel Fuel Etanol Langsung Pasif Menggunakan Membran Komposit Alkohol Polivinil/Grafin Oksida)

 

Zulfirdaus Zakaria^*

 

Fuel Cell Institute,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

 

^*Corresponding author: zulfirdaus@ukm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 27 November 2021; Accepted: 3 February 2022; Published:  27 June 2022

 

 

Abstract

Ethanol is a renewable fuel because it can be produced from a variety of production sources that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Thus, the consumption of passive direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) as a power supply for portable devices is intriguing and potentially marketable in the future. Unfortunately, one constraint in the application of passive DEFCs is the lack of a Nafion membrane replacement. The Nafion membrane is expensive and has high ethanol permeability. We previously synthesised a crosslinked poly vinyl alcohol/graphene oxide (PVA/GO) composite membrane for passive DEFCs using low-cost polymer materials and successfully achieved low ethanol permeability. Furthermore, the characterization and performance of a crosslinked PVA/GO composite membrane outperformed that of the Nafion membrane. In the passive DEFCs, the optimal membrane thickness is a critical parameter that influences the membrane and single-cell performance. This experimental study attempted to examine the effect of a crosslinked PVA/GO composite membrane thickness on proton conductivity, ethanol permeability, membrane selectivity, and single-cell performance. The passive DEFCs achieved a maximum performance of 7.54 mW cm^-2 at 60 °C by using a crosslinked PVA/GO composite membrane with a membrane thickness of 0.24 mm.

 

Keywords:     polymer electrolyte membrane, membrane thickness, passive direct ethanol fuel cells, poly (vinyl)/graphene oxide

 

Abstrak

Etanol merupakan bahan api yang boleh diperbaharui kerana ia boleh dihasilkan daripada pelbagai sumber pengeluaran, tidak toksik, dan mesra alam. Oleh itu, penggunaan sel fuel etanol langsung pasif (DEFCs) sebagai bekalan kuasa untuk peranti mudah alih adalah menarik dan berpotensi untuk dipasarkan pada masa hadapan. Walau bagaimanapun, satu kekangan terhadap penggunaan DEFCs pasif adalah ketiadaan penggantian membran Nafion. Membran Nafion adalah mahal dan mempunyai kebolehtelapan etanol yang tinggi. Sebelum ini, kami telah mensintesis membran komposit alkohol polivinil/grafin oksida (PVA/GO) terpaut silang untuk DEFC pasif menggunakan bahan polimer berkos rendah dan berjaya mencapai kebolehtelapan etanol yang rendah. Tambahan lagi, pencirian dan prestasi membran komposit PVA/GO silang mengatasi prestasi membran Nafion. Dalam DEFCs pasif, ketebalan membran optimum ialah parameter kritikal yang mempengaruhi prestasi membran dan sel tunggal. Kajian eksperimen ini cuba untuk mengkaji kesan ketebalan membran komposit PVA/GO terpaut silang terhadap kekonduksian proton, kebolehtelapan etanol, selektiviti membran, dan prestasi sel tunggal. DEFC pasif telah memperoleh prestasi maksimum 7.54 mW cm^-2 pada 60 °C melalui penggunaan membran komposit PVA/GO bersilang dengan ketebalan membran 0.24 mm.

 

Kata kunci:     membran elektrolit polimer, ketebalan membrane, sel bahan api etanol langsung pasif, alkohol polivinil/grafin oksida

 

 

Graphical Abstract

 

 

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