Publication date: 19-December-2003 
Source: Asia Pulse

Designed for direct-methanol fuel cells, the new electrolyte membrane is made from a hydrocarbon polymer material that features three times as much sulfone bases as conventional fluorine-based electrolyte membranes. These hydrophilic sulfone bases facilitate the migration of hydrogen ions across the membrane, boosting the energy efficiency of the fuel cell.

According to Toyobo, a fuel cell using the new electrolyte membrane is 30 per cent more energy efficient thanks to this design.

The polymer material used for the electrolyte membrane has a molecular structure that does not swell when it is wetted, so there is less chance for methanol to interact with water and pass across the membrane. When methanol crosses the membrane to the side with the air electrode, it can react with air to form water, which reduces the energy efficiency of the fuel cell.

This feature will enable the fuel cell to operate using a more highly concentrated form of methanol. This, in turn, will allow the fuel cell to run longer on a smaller container of fuel, which is important for applications in which size is a factor, like cell phones.