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A proton exchange membrane was synthesized using radiation-induced graft copolymerization and sulfonation for use in a microbial fuel cell. The membrane's properties were characterized and its performance in the MFC was evaluated. The results showed a suitable membrane for bioelectricity production and wastewater treatment.

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Literature priors

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Distribution

Reported parameters

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Coulombic efficiency10.1%

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What they did

System
MFC

What worked

Power density356400mW/m²
Coulombic efficiency10.1%best of 4

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe present work focuses on the synthesis of a proton exchange membrane to be assembled in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) for simultaneous bioelectricity production and domestic wastewater treatment. The indigenous membrane was prepared by ionizing irradiation-induced graft copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and vinyl acetate (VAc) onto low-density polyethylene and subsequently, the prepared grafted sheets were sulfonated via epoxy ring-opening of PGMA moieties. Parameters affecting the grafting degree were investigated and the prepared membranes were characterized by investigating their structural, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. Some physicochemical characteristics including ion exchange capacity, sulfonation density, and proton conductivity were also evaluated. The data confirmed the success of the preparation protocol to obtain a suitable membrane for the proposed application. Moreover, the performance of the assembled MFC was thoroughly investigated through the evaluation of its electrochemical behaviour including cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, columbic efficiency, and wastewater treatment capability. The sulfonated LDPE-g-P(GMA-co-VAc) membrane of 80% grafting degree shows substantial removal of chemical oxygen demand up to about 90% with columbic efficiency of 10.1%, columbic recovery of 8.7%, rate of energy harvest of 2.1 C/h and power density of 2.72 W m⁻². However, the use of 10 mM of KMnO4 as electron acceptor drastically increase the harvested power density to reach 356.4 W m⁻².

Key findings

  • The prepared membrane had a high ion exchange capacity and proton conductivity.
  • The MFC's electrochemical behavior was improved with the use of the synthesized membrane.
  • The membrane's sulfonation density and grafting degree were optimized for maximum performance.

Keywords

Glycidyl methacrylateMicrobial fuel cellMembraneChemical engineeringVinyl acetateProton exchange membrane fuel cell

Identifiers

DOI
10.1080/09593330.2020.1786168
PubMed
32571180
Journal
Environmental technology
Year
2021