• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2003

The preparation method for composite membranes of high temperature operation above $100^{\circ}C$ for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs ) was presented, using perfluorosulfonylfluoride Nafion resin and mordenite, in addition to the physical properties, proton conductivity and single cells performance for it. The composite membranes were fabricated via melting of Nafion resin with various mordenite content. As the increase of mordenite content, at high temperature range, proton conductivity of the composite membrane increased due to the late dehydration rate of existent water in the mordenite. Also, from the result of the current-voltage relationship for single cells under $130^{\circ}C$ operation condition, the composite membrane cell with l0 wt% mordenite content showed better performance than that of the others over the entire current density range. This result indicated that the existent water in the composite membrane with l0 wt% mordenite content was higher than that with the others, thereby maintains its conductivity. Based upon the results of experiments, therefore, a Nafion/mordenite composite membrane prepared by this work is thought to be a satisfactory polymer electrolyte membrane for PEMFC operation above $100^{\circ}C$.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2016

Polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) are key components to determine electrochemical fuel cell performances, in addition to electrode materials. The PEMs need to satisfy selective transport behaviors to small molecules including gases and protons; the PEMs have to transport protons as fast as possible, while they should act as hydrogen barriers, since the permeated gas induces the thermal degradation of cathode catalyst, resulting in rapid electrochemical reduction. To date, limited tools have been used to measure how fast hydrogen gas permeates through PEMs (e.g., Constant volume/variable Pressure (time-lag) method). However, most of the measurements are conducted under vacuum where PEMs are fully dried. Otherwise, the obtained hydrogen permeance is easily changeable, which causes the measurement errors to be large. In this study, hydrogen permeation properties through Nafion212 used as a standard PEM are evaluated using an in-situ measurement system in which both temperature and humidity are controlled at the same time.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.270-273
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• 2009

A comb-like copolymer consisting of a poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoro-ethylene) backbone and poly(hydroxy ethyl acrylate) side chains, i.e. P(VDF-co-CTFE)-g-PHEA, was synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using CTFE units as a macroinitiator. Successful synthesis and a microphase-separated structure of the copolymer were confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), FT-IR spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This comb-like polymer was crosslinked with 4,5-imidazole dicarboxylic acid (IDA) via the esterification of the -OH groups of PHEA and the -COOH groups of IDA. Upon doping with phosphoric acid ($H_3PO_4$) to form imidazole-$H_3PO_4$ complexes, the proton conductivity of the membranes continuously increased with increasing $H_3PO_4$ content. A maximum proton conductivity of 0.015 S/cm was achieved at $120^{\circ}C$ under anhydrous conditions. In addition, these P(VDF-co-CTFE)-g-PHEA/IDA/$H_3PO_4$ membranes exhibited good mechanical properties (765 MPa of Young's modulus), and high thermal stability up to $250^{\circ}C$, as determined by a universal testing machine (UTM) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2003

Poly(ether ether ketone)(PEEK) was sulfonated using sulfuric acid and blended with polysulfone with various ratios. The blended polymer electrolyte membranes were characterized in terms of methanol permeability, proton conductivity and ion exchange capacity. As the amount of sulfonated PEEK increased, both methanol permeability and proton conductivity increased. This was due to the increase of ion exchange capacity. The experimental results indicated that the blend membrane with 20% polysulfone was the best choice In terms of the ratio of proton conductivity to methanol permeability.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

A graft copolymer, i.e. poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene )-g-poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (P(VDF-co-CTFE)-g-PSSA) with 47 wt% of PSSA was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). This copolymer was combined with titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) to produce graft copolymer/$TiO_2$ nanocomposite membranes via sol-gel process. $TiO_2$ precursor (TTIP) was selectively incorporated into the hydrophilic PSSA domains of the graft copolymer and grown to form $TiO_2$ nanoparticles, as confirmed by FT-IR and UV-visible spectroscopy. Water uptake and ion exchange capacity (IEC) decreased with TTIP contents due to the decrease in number of sulfonic acid in the membranes. At 5 wt% of TTIP, the mechanical properties of membranes increased while maintaining the proton conductivity.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.182-188
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• 2017

Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES)-3-mercaptopropyl silica gel (3MPTSG) composite membranes with improved oxidative stability were prepared for polymer electrolyte fuel cell application. It has been reported that ether part of main chain of aromatic hydrocarbon based membranes were weak to radical attack to decrease membrane durability. In this study, the hydrophilic inorganic particles were introduced by minimizing a decrease in ion conductivity and increasing an oxidative stability. The composite membranes were investigated in terms of ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity (IEC), FT-IR, TGA and contact angle, etc. As a result, increasing amount of the 3MPTSG resulted in decrease in proton conductivities and water uptakes at 100% R.H. but enhanced thermal and oxidative stabilities.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05b
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• pp.69-72
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• 2004

So far the most practical polymer electrolytes are gel systems, which contain a polymeric matrix, a lithium salt, and aprotic organic solvents. This has met with success but has had disadvantages that the addition of solvents promotes deterioration of the electrolyte's mechanical properties and increases its reactivity towards the lithium metal anode.[1](omitted)

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.126.2-126.2
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• 2010

The "grafting from" technology to prepare the well-defined microphase-separated structure of polymer using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) will be introduced in this presentation. Various amphiphilic comb copolymers were synthesized through this approach using poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-co-CTFE) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) as a macroinitiator. Hydrophilic side chains such as poly (styrene sulfonic acid) (PSSA) or poly (sulfopropyl methacrylate) (PSPMA) were grafted from the mains chains using direct initiation of the chlorine atoms. The structure of mass transport channels has been controlled and fixed by crosslinking the hydrophobic domains, which also provides the greater mechanical properties of membranes. Successful synthesis and microphase-separated structure of the polymer were confirmed by $^1H$ NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and TEM. The grafted/crosslinked membranes exhibited good mechanical properties (400 MPa of Young's modulus) and high thermal stability (up to $300^{\circ}C$), as determined by a universal testing machine (UTM) and TGA, respectively.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2001

Various charged homogeneous membranes were fabricated by blending of ionic polymer with a non-ionic polymer with different ratios. In this study. sodium alginate, chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) were employed as anionic. cationic and non-ionic polymers, respectively. The permcation and separation behaviors of aquCOll::; salt solutions have been investigated through the charged membranes. As the content of ionic polymer increases in the membrane, the hydrophilicity of the membrane increases and pure water flux as well as solution flux increases correspondingly, indicating that the permeation performance through the membrane is cletemunecl mainly by its hydrophilicity-, Electrostatic interaction between the charged membrane and ionic solute molecules, that is. Donnan exclusion was observed to be attributed to salt rejection to a great deal of extent, and molecular sieve mechanism was effective [or the separation of the salt solution under a similar electrostatic circumstance of solutes.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.118-122
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• 2003

The performance evaluation on Pt loading in the self-humidifying polymer electrolyte membrane for Polymer Electrolyte Mem-Brane Fuel Cell(PEMFC) was investigated by using single cell test and measurement of membrane resistance. The self-humidifying membrane comprised two membranes made of perfluorosulfonylfluroride copolymer resin and fine Pt particles tying between them, coated by sputtering. From the results of performance characteristics of self-humidifying membrane cell with different Pt loading, a single cell using self-humidifying membrane with 0.15 mg/$\textrm{cm}^2$ Pt loading showed better performance than that with the others over entire current density. Also, a single cell with 0.15 mg/$\textrm{cm}^2$ Pt loading had a lower resistance value than the other cells under externally nonhumidifying condition. It is indicated that the water produced in the membrane cell with 0.15 mg/$\textrm{cm}^2$ Pt loading showed a higher provision to maintain ionic conductivity of the membrane than the other cells. The optimum amount of Pt particles embedded in the membrane for self-humidifying PEMFC was determined to be about 0.15 mg/$\textrm{cm}^2$.