Evaluation of Sulfonated Poly(Ether Ether Ketone) Silicotungstic Acid Composite Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications

Fuel cells have received much attention for clean power generation for transportation, portable power systems, etc. Composite membranes are better than the homopolymeric membranes, as their properties can be altered by varying the composition. In our present study, five samples of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)/silicotungstic acid (SWA) composite membranes were prepared. The molecular interactions of the composite membranes were characterized by FTIR and XRD techniques. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) was studied. The thermal suitability was found to be excellent as confirmed by TGA. SEM analysis revealed uniform distribution of the hetero poly acid (HPA) in the composite membranes. The protonic conductivity determined by impedance spectroscopy was found to be in the order of 10-3S/cm. The change in the mechanical properties of the composite membranes was observed by Universal Testing Machine (UTM). Overall, the composite membranes proved to be an excellent candidate for fuel cell applications.