Efficiency of Sodium Alginate Membranes in Fuel Cells
Description
Chemical energy can be transformed into electrical energy using fuel cells. Because of their great efficiency and minimal environmental impact, these devices have recently acquired favor as an alternative to fossil fuel energy derived from petroleum. Although the fuel cell is made up of many different parts, the efficiency of polymeric exchange membranes and how they impact fuel cell performance were the main focus of this study. To compare its power output to a synthetic Nafion membrane, an alginate composite membrane was made using additives and put inside a fuel cell. The process used to make the biopolymer membranes was modified from another study in which the membrane was dried, ionic crosslinked, and cast. The membrane was then placed in a salt bridge located in a double chamber, h-cell filled with 125ml of ethanol in the anode and 125ml of water in the cathode compartment. The voltages were measured using a HIOKI data logger over a range of resistances between 50 – 1000 Ω, where the power outputs were calculated. From the experiment conducted, the biopolymer film would be the preferred membrane for operation. Additionally, a theoretical investigation on the conduction of protons and methanol crossover on Sodium alginate/Sulfonated graphene oxide (SA/SGO) and Nafion membranes were conducted. From the results, the SA/SGO membrane was also the preferred membrane due to its higher selectivity, thereby coinciding with the experimental results. To improve the performance of the biopolymer membrane, additives such as sulphonated graphene oxide could have been used to increase ionic transfer in the membrane, however due to limited resources, this could not have been done. Additionally, the membrane could have undergone additional testing for tensile strength, and chemical and thermal stability to ensure that the film was ready for operation. From the research conducted, biopolymer membranes have great potential to replace synthetic membranes due to its high efficiency, environmentally friendly nature and is more cost effective. This topic can be further researched into using different biopolymers and additives to create an optimum membrane, which would eventually eliminate the need for using fossil fuels and create a sustainable future.