Investigation of Composite Nafion/Sulfated Zirconia Membrane for Solid Polymer Electrolyte Electrolyzer Applications

摘要

A composite Nafion-Sulfated Zirconia (SZrO2) membrane was prepared and investigated in a solidpolymer electrolyte (SPE) water electrolyzer at different temperatures. The performance was comparedto a commercial Nafion 115 membrane of similar thickness. The cell equipped with Nafion SZrO2- showed better performance at intermediate temperatures. The current densities were 2.7 and 2.2 Acm 2 at a terminal voltage of 1.8 V for the composite Nafion SZrO2 and Nafion 115, respectively, at100C and atmospheric pressure. The superior performance of the composite electrolyte was due to thestrong acidity and water affinity of sulfated zirconia nanoparticles used as filler. Operation atintermediate temperatures in a solid polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer appears useful for a betterthermal management of the heat released at high current densities.