Synthesis of Poly (Ether Ether) Ketone Sulfonated Membrane with Tin Dioxide Particles

Abstract

The development of clean energy sources is a subject in focus and boosts fuel cells for research. In this context, studies on proton conductive membranes have an important role. In the present work two groups of membranes were synthetized: one contained SPEEK/SnO 2 (varying the content of tin oxide from 2%, 4% and 6%) and the other with SPEEK/SnO 2 /HPW. The change in the membrane structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction, the swelling in water and ethanol solution uptake test, thermal stability using TGA, change in T g in DSC, the selective permeability by pervaporation test in water and the solution ethanol and proton conductivity by impedance spectroscopy. Through these analyses, it is possible to verify some effects: the tin oxide particles reduced the T g membranes, they also controlled the membranes swelling in water and kept it approximately 30% lower than the pure SPEEK swelling and finally, among the tin oxide quantities tested in the membranes, it was reached 67.8 mS/cm as maximum value of proton conductivity.