Sulfonated polymer membrane for high-temperature PEM fuel
This technology creates a new class of sulfonated polymer membranes — thin, ion-conducting films used in fuel cells and other electrochemical devices — by chemically building the sulfonic acid groups directly into the polymer backbone during synthesis, rather than adding them afterward. The resulting materials can be made into polysulfone or polyimide membranes that outperform Nafion, the dominant commercial benchmark, on key metrics. When a heteropoly acid additive is blended in at the nanoscale, the membranes gain even more advantages: better heat tolerance above 100°C, higher proton conductivity, and less problematic water swelling. The manufacturing approach is also more controllable because the degree of sulfonation can be tuned precisely by adjusting monomer ratios during polymerization.
What you could build
A drop-in alternative membrane material for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells sold to fuel cell stack manufacturers or automotive OEMs developing hydrogen powertrains; also applicable to industrial electrolyzers and ion exchange separations.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia-based defense contractors and naval facilities (e.g., Newport News, Norfolk) with interest in hydrogen power and fuel cell propulsion, plus any university spinout or advanced materials company in the state's growing clean energy sector.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- James E. McGrath, Michael Hickner, Feng Wang, Yu-Seung Kim
- Granted
- February 26, 2013
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 8383763
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.