Evaluation of Low‐Cost Separators for Increased Power Generation in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells with Membrane Electrode Assembly

Abstract

Abstract We compared novel size‐selective separators, namely the textile fabrics of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and sulfonated polyphenylene sulfide (S‐PPS), and the nonwoven fabrics of polypropylene80 (PP 80) and PP 100, with commonly used ion exchange separators (Nafion 117 and cation exchange membane‐7000; CMI‐7000) in terms of power generation, oxygen diffusion, and biofilm formation in a single chamber microbial fuel cell. Size‐selective separators exhibited more power generation than ion selective separators. MFC operation with size‐selective separators generated power output ranging 0.407 to 0.591 V (1000 Ω), whereas with Nafion it was 0.272 V. In polarization analysis, S‐PPS resulted in the highest power density of 190 mW/m 2 , whereas it was 24 mW/m 2 with Nafion‐117. Size selective separators showed similar or higher proton conductivity than Nafion 117. Oxygen mass transfer coefficients of size‐selective separators (K O = 3.7 ∼ 7.5 × 10 −5 ) were lower or similar to Nafion (K O = 7.5 × 10 −5 ). Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that all separators (PP80, S‐PPS, and Nafion) contained proteins or carbon chain compounds after 300‐day operation, and however, Nafion 117 seems to be more susceptible to biofouling than the other separators.

Key findings

• ▸Size-selective separators exhibited more power generation than ion selective separators.
• ▸MFC operation with size-selective separators generated power output ranging 0.407 to 0.591 V (1000 Ω), whereas with Nafion it was 0.272 V.
• ▸S-PPS resulted in the highest power density of 190 mW/m², whereas it was 24 mW/m² with Nafion-117.

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/fuce.201400036

Journal

Fuel Cells

Year

2014