Analysis of Nafion Fuel Cell Membrane Chemical Durability Using Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy

Changes in macromolecular dynamics associated with the Tg -related β relaxation of Nafion®, with chemical degradation, were investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Loss permittivity vs. frequency spectra showed peak splitting reflecting microstructural heterogeneity. Spectra were analy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inECS transactions Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 1359 - 1370
Main Authors Hassan, Mohammad K., Nalawade, Amol, Abukmail, Ahmed, Patil, Yatin, Mauritz, Kenneth A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.01.2011
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Summary:Changes in macromolecular dynamics associated with the Tg -related β relaxation of Nafion®, with chemical degradation, were investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. Loss permittivity vs. frequency spectra showed peak splitting reflecting microstructural heterogeneity. Spectra were analyzed using the conductivity-modified Havriliak-Negami equation and the Kramers-Krönig integral transform, both of which showed broadening and peak splitting for degraded samples. Peak broadening and bi and tri-modal character of the spectra of degraded samples was also manifest in distributions of relaxation times which reflected a broadening of molecular weight distribution and related microstructural heterogeneity induced by chemical degradation.
ISSN:1938-5862
1938-6737
DOI:10.1149/1.3635667