Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference
October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota
Undoped polymer-inorganic composite membranes for intermediate-temperature electrochemical processes
Oksana
Zholobko
Faculty Member
North Dakota State University
Co-author: Xiang-Fa Wu, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University
Session
Poster number: 55
Ballroom
Intermediate-temperature (IT) proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) carrying high proton conductivity will play the crucial roles in hydrogen and liquid fuel cells, electrolyzers, and other electrochemical processes at elevated temperatures of 150 to 350°C due to their improved work conditions and material requirements for durability and high performance. Among various energy conversion systems, fuel cells are the most efficient electrochemical energy conversion devices that directly convert the chemical energy stored in fuels (e.g., hydrogen, ethanol, methanol, biomass, natural gas, biogas, etc.) into electricity. This study reports the fabrication and performance characterization of a new type of IT polymer-inorganic composite (PIC) PEMs for use in PEM fuel cells, in which the IT-PIC-PEMs were made of an undoped high-temperature polymer (polybenzimidazole-PBI) composited with a high-performance solid-state proton conductor (cerium ultraphosphate-CeP5O14). Tests showed that the flexible PIC PEMs carried high proton conductivity of up to 0.105 S/cm that was measured using a single-cell hydrogen fuel cell unit at humidified condition and 200oC. The PIC PEMs also demonstrated sufficient mechanical properties, thermal stability, structural integrity, and noticeably reduced water uptake. The present study prospects the promising future of the IT-PIC-PEMs for use in various low-cost, high-efficiency electrochemical energy conversion processes at elevated temperatures.