Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Abstract

Polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM) with good properties are essential for the improvement of electrochemical operations. The increase in properties of polymer electrolyte membranes will develop the performance of polymer electrolyte membranes in the fuel cells. The importance of polymer electrolyte membranes is increasing recently due to its activity and simplicity in energy associated applications like automobiles and various portable applications. PEM has various properties like proton conductivity, chemical stability, mechanical properties, thermal stability and so on. These properties are enhanced and influenced by various factors like morphology, the molecular weight of the membranes, chemical structures, cross linkages etc. The present chapter attempts to summarize about the properties of polymer electrolyte membrane involved in the different types of electrochemical utilizations. Keywords: Polymer electrolyte membrane, fuel cells, morphology, proton conductivity, chemical structure.