The effect of material on bipolar membrane fuel cell performance: a review

Abstract

Bipolar membrane fuel cell (BPMFC) was firstly discovered in 2000 that composed of two-layered ionic conducting membranes. The importance of BPMC development is its ability to humidify the cell when operating at a high current density that eliminates the use of the external humidification system. It is able to self-humidify the cell because of water formation at the intermediate layer from the reaction of hydrogen ion (H+) with hydroxide ion (OH-). Up to now, there is no commercial bipolar membrane (BPM) in water formation configuration for the fuel cell humidifying purpose. Thus, the researcher had come out with a composition of proton exchange membrane with anion exchange membrane by the hotpressing method that allows them to carry the proton and anion simultaneously in a single cell. There are a few of polymeric-based PEM and AEM material had been selected for developing BPM such as Nafion, FumaPEM FAA3, quaternary ammonium polysulfone (QAPSF), and quaternary ammonium poly(phenylene)oxide (QAPPO). This review aims to determine the effect of material selection and design for developing BPM toward its performance in fuel cell based on published works. Besides, the potentialities of polymeric-based material are discussed, pointing out the main positive and negative effect of this BPM for fuel cell applications. As a case study, the use of different types of PEM and AEM material for BPM is particularly stressed, pointing out the main properties for its applications in BPMFC.