Sains Malaysiana 49(12)(2020): 3125-3143

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4912-25

Modification and Optimization of Rice Husk Ash Bio-Filler in Sulfonated Polyimide Membrane for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

(Pengubahsuaian dan Pengoptimuman Bio-Pengisi Abu Sekam Padi dalam Membran Poliimida Tersulfonan untuk Bahan Api Sel Metanol Langsung)

YOU PO YING¹, SITI KARTOM KAMARUDIN^1,2, MOHD SHAHBUDIN MASDAR^1,2 & AZRAN MOHD ZAINOODIN¹*

¹Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Research Centre for Sustainable Process Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 6 August 2020/Accepted: 11 September 2020

ABSTRACT

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is a very high potential renewable and sustainable energy for portable devices as it has very high energy density and more environmentally friendly. Adding filler into the membrane matrix had reported in improved performance of the DMFC. However, addition of filler will lead to the decrease of the ion exchange capacity of the membrane, which will in turn reduce the fuel cell performance. Hence, this work studies the modification of rice husk ash via sulfonation process and the effect of the synthesis parameter of novel sulfonated polyimides/sulfonated rice husk ash (SPI/sRHA) composite membrane towards fuel cell performance where filler sRHA had been synthesized via the mixing reaction between rice husk ash (RHA) with chloroform and chlorosulfonic acid. The composition of filler in membranes was optimized with different synthesis parameters such as different types of filler used, loading of filler in membrane and membrane annealing temperature. Investigation of the effects for these three parameters on the physicochemical properties of the composite membranes produced was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) approach to optimize the synthesis parameters of the composite membrane. The fillers and composite membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Different synthesis parameters had shown different influences on the physicochemical properties of the composite membranes and consequently, gave different passive fuel cell performances of DMFCs too. The optimized membrane (S-12-sR) showed enhanced physicochemical performance as well as the passive single cell performance as compared to pure SPI and Nafion 117 membranes. The water uptake, proton conductivity and IEC that had been achieved by the optimized membrane were 90.97%, 0.1891 S cm⁻¹ and 0.2608 mmol g⁻¹ respectively. The maximum power density of the passive DMFC was improved from 8.1 mW cm⁻² to 16.4 mW cm⁻² under ambient conditions.

Keywords: Bio-filler; composite membrane; physicochemical; sulfonated polyimide; sulfonated rice husk ash

ABSTRAK

Bahan api sel metanol langsung (DMFC) adalah tenaga yang boleh diperbaharui dan lestari yang berpotensi tinggi untuk peranti mudah alih kerana mempunyai ketumpatan tenaga yang sangat tinggi dan lebih mesra alam. Penambahan pengisi ke dalam matriks membran telah dilaporkan mampu meningkatan prestasi DMFC. Walau bagaimanapun, penambahan pengisi akan menyebabkan penurunan kapasiti pertukaran ion membran, yang seterusnya akan mengurangkan prestasi bahan api sel. Oleh itu, kajian ini mengkaji pengubahsuaian abu sekam padi melalui proses sulfonasi dan kesan parameter sintesis membran komposit polimida sulfonasi/abu sekam padi sulfonasi (SPI/sRHA) terhadap prestasi bahan api sel dengan pengisi sRHA telah disintesis melalui pencampuran tindak balas antara abu sekam padi (RHA) dengan kloroform dan asid klorosulfonik. Komposisi pengisi dalam membran dioptimumkan dengan parameter sintesis yang berbeza seperti pelbagai jenis pengisi yang digunakan, pemuatan pengisi dalam membran dan suhu penyepuhlindapan membran. Kajian kesan ketiga-tiga parameter tersebut pada sifat fizikokimia membran komposit yang dihasilkan dilakukan menggunakan pendekatan kaedah respon permukaan (RSM) untuk mengoptimumkan parameter sintesis membran komposit. Pengisi dan membran komposit dicirikan dengan spektroskopi inframerah jelmaan Fourier, analisis pembelauan sinar-X, analisis Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) dan mikroskop transmisi elektron. Parameter sintesis yang berbeza telah menunjukkan pengaruh yang berbeza pada sifat fizikokimia membran komposit dan akibatnya, juga memberikan prestasi bahan api sel DMFC pasif yang berbeza. Membran yang dioptimumkan (S-12-sR) menunjukkan peningkatan prestasi fizikokimia serta prestasi sel tunggal pasif berbanding dengan membran SPI dan Nafion 117 tulen. Kadar penyerapan air, kekonduksian proton dan IEC yang berjaya dicapai dengan pengoptimuman membran adalah 90.97%, 0.1891 S cm⁻¹ dan 0.2608 mmol g⁻¹. Ketumpatan kuasa maksimum DMFC pasif ditingkatkan dari 8.1 mW cm⁻² menjadi 16.4 mW cm⁻² dalam keadaan ambien.

Kata kunci: Abu sekam beras tersulfonan; bio-pengisi; fisikokimia; membran komposit; poliimida tersulfonan

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*Corresponding author; email: azrans@ukm.edu.my