Abstract
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) research has been directed at phosphoric acid (PA)-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes since the 1990s. PEM fuel cells based on PA-doped PBI membranes produced via a sol-gel transition process have achieved lifetimes >10,000hrs with low degradation rates. It has been suggested that the gel morphology of the PA-doped PBI membranes is responsible for their excellent electrochemical performance. Thus, a study has been underway to characterize the microstructure of PA-doped PBI membranes, and to correlate structure with performance. However, PA-doped PBI membranes present special challenges for microscopy analysis, as these membranes are extremely sensitive to the electron beam and high vacuum conditions. This paper will discuss and compare the mechanical, electrochemical, and cryo-SEM analyses of PA-doped meta-PBI membranes produced via conventional imbibing and the sol-gel process.
