SULFONATED POLY (ETHER ETHER KETONE) (SPEEK) MEMBRANE BLEND WITH ZIRCONIUM PHOSPHATE BASED METAL ORGANIC FRAMEWORK (ZrP MOF) FOR FUEL CELL APPLICATION

The world is trying to switch from non-renewable energy sources to renewable ones due to the rising energy demand and environmental pollution caused by fossil fuel-based energy resources. Fuel cell, a type of renewable energy device, caught their attention due to its high energy conversion efficiency and environmental friendliness. Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) is an alternative to the mostly used Nafion membrane in fuel cell applications due to its low cost, easy synthesis process and high thermal and mechanical strength but have lower proton conductivity than Nafion. Increasing the membrane temperature and relative humidity increases the SPEEK membrane proton conductivity but lowers the mechanical and thermal strength which influences its lifetime. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of adding proton conductive zirconium phosphate-based metal organic framework i.e (NH4)3[Zr(H2/3PO4)3 (ZrP) (MOF) into SPEEK through solution blending methods towards its improved mechanical and thermal stability. It was determined that the addition of the stable ZrP improved the mechanical/thermal strength and dimensional stability whereas, the water uptake and swelling degree of the membrane reduced. Incorporating ZrP into the SPEEK membrane enhanced the thermo-mechanical properties thus, can be used as a stable proton conducting membrane for fuel cell that prolong the lifetime of the cell.