Influence of Temperature and Humidity on the Mechanical Properties of Nafion® 117 Polymer Electrolyte Membrane

Title data

Bauer, Felix ; Denneler, Stefan ; Willert-Porada, Monika:
Influence of Temperature and Humidity on the Mechanical Properties of Nafion® 117 Polymer Electrolyte Membrane.
In: Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics. Vol. 43 (2005) Issue 7 . - pp. 786-795.
ISSN 1099-0488
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/polb.20367

Official URL:

Abstract in another language

The dynamic mechanical properties of Nafion 117 have been measured in-plane parallel and perpendicular to the lamination direction in a specially designed humidity cell, which allows measurement of the stiffness and mechanic loss under fuel cell relevant temperature and humidity conditions (50-100% relative humidity, 30-120 °C). The results obtained at different temperature--humidity conditions are compared with the mechanical behavior of the dry as well as the membrane saturated with liquid water. Different regimes of change in mechanical properties were found, although in general water acts as a plasticizer in Nafion. At elevated temperatures it stiffens the membrane by stabilizing the network of hydrophilic clusters. An intermediate increase of mechanical strength at very low humidity levels is attributed to an enforcement by formation of hydrates and hydrogen bridge bonds between vicinal sulfonic acid groups. This increase is significant for the protonated state of the membrane and disappears after ion exchange. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 786-795, 2005

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a journal
Refereed:	Yes
Keywords:	Nafion; dynamic mechanical analysis; Fuel cell; glass transition; ionomers; Mechanical properties
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Engineering Science > Former Professors > Chair Electrochemical Process Engineering - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Monika Willert-Porada Profile Fields > Advanced Fields > Polymer and Colloid Science Faculties Faculties > Faculty of Engineering Science Faculties > Faculty of Engineering Science > Chair Electrochemical Process Engineering Profile Fields Profile Fields > Advanced Fields Faculties > Faculty of Engineering Science > Former Professors
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	500 Science > 500 Natural sciences 600 Technology, medicine, applied sciences > 620 Engineering
Date Deposited:	04 May 2015 12:27
Last Modified:	04 May 2015 12:27
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/11239