Nanostructured proton-conductive membranes prepared by swift heavy ion irradiation for fuel cell applications

重イオンビーム照射により作製した燃料電池用ナノ構造型プロトン伝導膜

八巻 徹也

Yamaki, Tetsuya

日本原子力研究開発機構では、独自の量子ビーム技術を駆使して、燃料電池に応用可能な高分子電解質膜の開発を進めている。本講演では、発表者らによるその活動のうち、高エネルギー重イオンビーム照射によるグラフト重合を利用したナノ構造制御電解質膜の開発について報告する。今回は、膜中に形成されるプロトン伝導部のナノ構造や、プロトン伝導度など各種物性を線グラフト電解質膜と比較しながら議論する。

Researchers at Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have been intensively working on quantum beam technology for the development of proton-conductive membranes for PEMFCs since 2001. My presentation deals with the application of high-energy heavy ion beams from the cyclotron accelerator of Takasaki Ion Accelerators for Advanced Radiation Application (TIARA), JAEA. Our strategic focus is centered on using nano-scale controllability of the ion-beam processing; the membrane preparation involves (1) the irradiation of commercially-available base polymer films with hundreds of MeV ions, (2) graft polymerization of vinyl monomers into electronically-excited parts along the ion trajectory, called latent tracks, and (3) sulfonation of the graft polymers. The resulting membranes were compared with those prepared by the conventional -ray-induced grafting in terms of membrane nanostructures, proton conductivity, and other properties.