SULFONATED POLY(ARYLENE ETHER BENZIMIDAZOLE) COPOLYMER MEMBRANE SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION
Abstract
Fuel cells which are utilized to produce electrical energy from hydrogen are accepted as an alternative of environmentally friendly and efficient energy production. Perflorosulfonic acid based membranes such as Nafion, are used frequently in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However researches on alternative polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) are continued because of decrement in proton conductivity at high temperatures and high prices of Nafion membranes. At the first stage of this study, disodium-3,3'-disulfonate-4,4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone (S-DCDPS) and benzimidazole bisphenol (HPBI) monomers were synthesized. Then a sulfonated poly(arylene ether benzimidazole) copolymer was synthesized via nucleophilic aromatic polycondensation reaction of synthesized monomers. 1H NMR and FTIR analysis of synthesized monomers and 1H NMR, FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the copolymer were performed. Copolymer synthesis was confirmed clearly by the results of the analysis. TGA curve showed that synthesized copolymer has a high thermal stability (~400 oC) and can be used for high temperature applications
Keywords
Poly(arylene ether), Polybenzimidazole, Copolymer, High temperature polymers, Films
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