Effect of CO2 absorption on ion and water mobility in an anion exchange membrane

We report the measured water uptake, density, ionic conductivity and water transport properties in Tokuyama A201 membrane in OH-, HCO3- and Cl- forms. The water uptake of the AEM varies with anion type in the order lambda(OH-) > lambda(HCO3-) > lambda(Cl-) for samples equilibrated with the same water vapor activity (a(w)). The conductivity of the AEM is reduced by absorption of CO2. Pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) measurements were utilized to characterize the diffusivity of water and HCO3- ion. The anion diffusion coefficient and membrane conductivity are used to probe the applicability of the Nernst-Einstein equation in these AEMs.