Proton Exchange Membrane from the Blend of Copolymers of Vinyl Acetate-Acrylic Ester and Styrene-Acrylic Ester for Power Generation Using Fuel Cell

Proton exchange membranes for fuel cells were synthesized from the blend of copolymers of vinyl acetate-acrylic ester and styrene-acrylic ester, which were modified by sulfonation and addition of silica gel. Water uptake, ion exchange capacity, infrared spectroscopy and tensile tests were applied to characterize the prepared membranes. The results show that the prepared membranes with the processes of sulfonation and loaded with silica have the highest water uptake (92,7%). On the other hand, the sulfonation process lead to membranes with high ion exchange capacity and high mechanical strength (0,68 meq/g and 1,29 MPa, respectively). Therefore, the sulfonated membrane represents an alternative for the application as proton exchange membrane in fuel cells. Keyword-Membrane, Proton exchange, Sulfonation, Silica gel, Fuel cells