Influence of barium zirconate on SPEEK-based polymer electrolytes for PEM fuel cell applications

The sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)-barium zirconate (BaZrO3)-based polymer nanocomposite membranes are prepared by solvent casting technique. The composite membranes have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), water uptake, swelling, and ion exchange capacity (IEC). The NMR, IEC, and CHNSO analyses confirmed the degree of sulfonation level of SPEEK as 65%. Addition of 6 wt% BaZrO3 filler improved the proton conductivity of the polymer electrolyte considerably with 3.12 × 10−1 S/cm at 90 °C. SEM and AFM studies indicated that the BaZrO3 nanofillers are well distributed in the polymer up to 8 wt%. The maximum power and current density are 183 mW cm−2 and 280 mA cm−2 for 94 wt% SPEEK and 06 wt% BaZrO3. It is concluded that the above composite membrane is a potential candidate for PEM fuel cell applications.