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• Reinholdt, M
• Ilie, A
• Roualdès, S
• Frugier, J
• Schieda, M
• Coutanceau, C
• Martemianov, S
• Flaud, V
• Beche, E
• Durand, J
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• Reinholdt, M
• Ilie, A
• Roualdès, S
• Frugier, J
• Schieda, M
• Coutanceau, C
• Martemianov, S
• Flaud, V
• Beche, E
• Durand, J
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• Reinholdt, M
• Ilie, A
• Roualdès, S
• Frugier, J
• Schieda, M
• Coutanceau, C
• Martemianov, S
• Flaud, V
• Beche, E
• Durand, J

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Membranes 2012, 2(3), 529-552; doi:10.3390/membranes2030529

Article

Plasma Membranes Modified by Plasma Treatment or Deposition as Solid Electrolytes for Potential Application in Solid Alkaline Fuel Cells

Marc Reinholdt ¹ , Alina Ilie ² , Stéphanie Roualdès ^1,* , Jérémy Frugier ¹ , Mauricio Schieda ¹ , Christophe Coutanceau ³ , Serguei Martemianov ² , Valérie Flaud ⁴ , Eric Beche ⁵  and Jean Durand ¹

¹ Institut Européen des Membranes (UMR 5635-ENSCM, UM2, CNRS), Université Montpellier 2, CC047, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier cedex 5 F-34095, France ² Institut Prime (UPR 3346-CNRS, Université de Poitiers, ENSMA), SP2MI Téléport 2, Boulevard Pierre et Marie Curie, BP 30179, Futuroscope cedex F-86962, France ³ Institut de Chimie des Milieux et des Matériaux de Poitiers (UMR 7285-CNRS, Université de Poitiers), Université de Poitiers, 40 avenue du Recteur Pineau, Poitiers F-86000, France ⁴ Institut Charles Gerhardt (UMR 5253-UM2, ENSCM, CNRS, UM1), Université Montpellier 2, CC1700, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier cedex 5 F-34095, France ⁵ Laboratoire Matériaux, Procédés et Energie Solaire (UPR 8521-CNRS, Université de Perpignan), CNRS, Centre Félix Trombe, 7 rue du four solaire, Font-Romeu Odeillo Via F-66120, France

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 25 May 2012; in revised form: 29 June 2012 / Accepted: 11 July 2012 / Published: 30 July 2012

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Electrochemical Energy Applications)

Download PDF Full-Text [559 KB, uploaded 30 July 2012 14:14 CEST]

Abstract: In the highly competitive market of fuel cells, solid alkaline fuel cells using liquid fuel (such as cheap, non-toxic and non-valorized glycerol) and not requiring noble metal as catalyst seem quite promising. One of the main hurdles for emergence of such a technology is the development of a hydroxide-conducting membrane characterized by both high conductivity and low fuel permeability. Plasma treatments can enable to positively tune the main fuel cell membrane requirements. In this work, commercial ADP-Morgane^® fluorinated polymer membranes and a new brand of cross-linked poly(aryl-ether) polymer membranes, named AMELI-32^®, both containing quaternary ammonium functionalities, have been modified by argon plasma treatment or triallylamine-based plasma deposit. Under the concomitant etching/cross-linking/oxidation effects inherent to the plasma modification, transport properties (ionic exchange capacity, water uptake, ionic conductivity and fuel retention) of membranes have been improved. Consequently, using plasma modified ADP-Morgane^® membrane as electrolyte in a solid alkaline fuel cell operating with glycerol as fuel has allowed increasing the maximum power density by a factor 3 when compared to the untreated membrane.

Keywords: solid alkaline fuel cell; anion exchange membrane; plasma treatment; plasma deposition; glycerol

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