Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-based fuel cells are emerging fields with high efficiency, low pollutant emissions, and low material consumption. However, conventional membranes have poor thermal resistance and are expensive. Thus, alternative polymeric membranes with superior qualities and chara...

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Main Authors: Hakim Muhammad Fahmi, Hidayati Nur, Hasannah Cintiya Septa, Widianto Eri, Fauji Najmudin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: EDP Sciences 2025-01-01
Series:E3S Web of Conferences
Online Access:https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2025/22/e3sconf_interconnects2025_01013.pdf
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author Hakim Muhammad Fahmi
Hidayati Nur
Hasannah Cintiya Septa
Widianto Eri
Fauji Najmudin
author_facet Hakim Muhammad Fahmi
Hidayati Nur
Hasannah Cintiya Septa
Widianto Eri
Fauji Najmudin
author_sort Hakim Muhammad Fahmi
collection DOAJ
description Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-based fuel cells are emerging fields with high efficiency, low pollutant emissions, and low material consumption. However, conventional membranes have poor thermal resistance and are expensive. Thus, alternative polymeric membranes with superior qualities and characteristics have been developed to address this issue. This study aims to develop a sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) membrane with enhanced thermal stability, proton conductivity, and efficiency, as a cost-effective alternative for conventional PEM materials. The research focuses on overcoming the limitations of conventional membranes by incorporating alumina (Al2O3) into the sPEEK matrix. A sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) membrane was fabricated with varying alumina (Al2O3) content via the simple dry phase inversion. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water uptake, swelling degree, and ionic exchange capacity (IEC) are performed for the characterization of the membranes. Through these approaches, the study analyzes the chemical structure, surface morphology, and physicochemical properties of the fabricated membranes. The fabricated sPEEK@Al2O3 membranes showed that with the addition of 10 wt% of Al2O3, the water uptake, swelling degree, and IEC significantly increased in comparison with the pristine sPEEK membrane. This demonstrates that membranes with a low concentration of Al2O3 effectively enhance the desired properties, making them promising candidates for polymer electrolyte membrane-based fuel cells.
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spelling doaj-art-9a4a412f684e4ddbbc31a3e5490b58132025-08-20T02:09:34ZengEDP SciencesE3S Web of Conferences2267-12422025-01-016220101310.1051/e3sconf/202562201013e3sconf_interconnects2025_01013Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCsHakim Muhammad Fahmi0Hidayati Nur1Hasannah Cintiya Septa2Widianto Eri3Fauji Najmudin4Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang, Telukjambe TimurDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta JlDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang, Telukjambe TimurDepartment Physics of science, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang, Telukjambe TimurDepartment Physics of science, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang, Telukjambe TimurPolymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-based fuel cells are emerging fields with high efficiency, low pollutant emissions, and low material consumption. However, conventional membranes have poor thermal resistance and are expensive. Thus, alternative polymeric membranes with superior qualities and characteristics have been developed to address this issue. This study aims to develop a sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) membrane with enhanced thermal stability, proton conductivity, and efficiency, as a cost-effective alternative for conventional PEM materials. The research focuses on overcoming the limitations of conventional membranes by incorporating alumina (Al2O3) into the sPEEK matrix. A sulfonated polyether ether ketone (sPEEK) membrane was fabricated with varying alumina (Al2O3) content via the simple dry phase inversion. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water uptake, swelling degree, and ionic exchange capacity (IEC) are performed for the characterization of the membranes. Through these approaches, the study analyzes the chemical structure, surface morphology, and physicochemical properties of the fabricated membranes. The fabricated sPEEK@Al2O3 membranes showed that with the addition of 10 wt% of Al2O3, the water uptake, swelling degree, and IEC significantly increased in comparison with the pristine sPEEK membrane. This demonstrates that membranes with a low concentration of Al2O3 effectively enhance the desired properties, making them promising candidates for polymer electrolyte membrane-based fuel cells.https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2025/22/e3sconf_interconnects2025_01013.pdf
spellingShingle Hakim Muhammad Fahmi
Hidayati Nur
Hasannah Cintiya Septa
Widianto Eri
Fauji Najmudin
Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs
E3S Web of Conferences
title Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs
title_full Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs
title_fullStr Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs
title_full_unstemmed Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs
title_short Development of Cost-Effective sPEEK/Al2O3 Composite Membranes with Enhanced Proton Conductivity and Durability for PEMFCs
title_sort development of cost effective speek al2o3 composite membranes with enhanced proton conductivity and durability for pemfcs
url https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2025/22/e3sconf_interconnects2025_01013.pdf
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