Fuel Cell Performance of Radiation Grafted Sulphonic Acid Membranes

Ion exchange membranes produced by the radiation grafting of styrene onto selected hydrocarbon and fluoropolymer films, followed by a sulfonation reaction, were tested in fuel cells. A number of different operating conditions were used including humidified and non-humidified gases, various cell temperatures (25 °C to 80 °C), different cell sizes and the use of oxygen or air as the oxidant gas. The results show that these types of membranes perform well in comparison to the Nafion™ standards. Relationships between fuel cell performance and membrane properties have been established. Some of the membranes tested were found to have stable low resistivities at high current densities. High power densities of greater that 1 Acm–2 were achievable with these types of membranes.