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Robust poly(p‐phenylene oxide) anion exchange membranes reinforced with pore‐filling technique for water electrolysis

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E-pub ahead of print
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Article numbere55340
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>15/05/2024
<mark>Journal</mark>Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Issue number19
Volume141
Publication StatusE-pub ahead of print
Early online date29/02/24
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Mechanical robustness and durability are crucial for anion exchange membranes to guarantee the longevity and consistent performance of AEM water electrolysis (AEMWE) systems. In this study, a composite membrane based on the quaternized poly(p‐phenylene oxide) (QPPO)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was developed. This membrane was fabricated by enhancing the QPPO‐based AEM through a pore‐filling technique within a porous PTFE structure. The tensile strength of the composite membrane was increased significantly from 16.5 to 31 MPa. The conductivity of the composite membrane was 6.25 mScm−1 lower than 30 mScm−1 of the QPPO‐based membrane at 20°C, resulting from the low volume fraction of QPPO in the composite membrane. At 40% RH, the net change mass of the composite membrane is 1.59%, much lower than that of QPPO‐based membrane (10.98%) at 40°C. The composite membrane demonstrated a significantly increased lifetime in the working electrolyzer (>200 h) compared with an otherwise identical electrolyzer assembled with a QPPO‐based membrane (50 h).