Composite polymer electrolytes for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

1. A composite electrolyte for use in electrochemical fuel cells, comprising:

(i) an inorganic cation exchange material;

(ii) a silica-based material; and

(iii) a proton conducting moeity attached to polymer-based material, wherein the inorganic cation exchange material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the composite electrolyte.

2. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 , wherein the silica-based material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 70 wt %, and the proton conducting polymer-based material comprises about 0.1 wt % to 99.9 wt % of the composite electrolyte.

3. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the inorganic cation exchange material is selected from the group consisting of clay, zeolite, hydrous oxide, and inorganic salt.

4. The composite electrolyte of claim 3 , wherein the clay includes an aluminosilicate-based exchange material selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, hectorite, mica, bentonite, nontronite, beidellite, volkonskoite, saponite, magadite, kenyaite, zeolite, alumina, rutile.

5. The composite material of claim 3 , wherein the clay is modified to make it more compatible with organic matrices, a clay modification including exfoliation which helps to separate platelets of inorganic substance.

6. The composite electrolyte of claim 3 , wherein the clay includes a modified montmorillonite consisting of montmorillonite treated with a modifier material selected from a group consisting of aminododecanoic acid, trimethyl stearate ammonium, octadecylamine, and methyl dihydroxy hydrogenated tallow ammonium.

7. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the inorganic cation exchange material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt %, the silica-based material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt %, and the proton conducting polymer-based material comprises about 40 wt % to 99.9 wt % of the composite electrolyte.

8. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the proton conducting polymer-based material has a liner, branched, or network morphology.

9. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the proton conducting polymer-based material includes material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile/butadiene/stryene rubber (ABS), styrene butadiene/acrylate/acetate polymer blends, epoxides, and a thermoplastic material.

10. The composite electrolyte of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from a group consisting polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyaryl ethers sulfones, poly aryl ether ketone, and polysulfones.

11. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the proton conducting polymer-based material has a functional group element selected from a group consisting of sulfonate, phosphate, carbonate, amide, and imide, wherein each such functional group element has proton conducting capabilities.

12. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 , further comprising an additive selected from a group consisting of preservative, thixotropy and viscosity control agent, crosslinking agent, conditioner, plasticizer, water control agent, and proton conducting material.

13. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the inorganic cation exchange material, the silica-based material and the proton conducting polymer-based material comprise 90 wt % or more of the solids content of the composite electrolyte.

14. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the composite electrolyte when measured in the substantially dried state consists essentially of the inorganic cation exchange material, the silica-based material and the proton conducting polymer-based material.

15. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the composite electrolyte has a proton conductivity of about 0.05 S/cm or higher.

16. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the silica-based material includes materials containing one or more of silica, silicate, and silicate having an organic element.

17. The composite electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the silica-based material is either colloidal silica containing discrete spheres of silica or tetraethylorthosilicate.

18. An electrochemical fuel cell, comprising:

(i) an anode;

(ii) a cathode;

(iii) a fuel supply to the anode;

(iv) an oxidant supply to the cathode; and

(v) a composite electrolyte positioned between the anode and cathode and including

(a) an inorganic cation material,

(b) a silica-based binder, and

(c) a proton conducting moiety attached to polymer-based binder.

wherein the inorganic cation exchange material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 99 wt %, of the composite electrolyte.

19. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the silica-baaed material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 70 wt %, and the proton conducting polymer-based material comprises about 0.1 wt % to 99.9 wt % of the composite electrolyte.

20. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the inorganic cation exchange material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt %, the silica-based material comprises about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt %, and the proton conducting polymer-based material comprises about 40 wt % to 99.9 wt % of the composite electrolyte.

21. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the inorganic cation exchange material is selected from the group consisting of clay, zeolite, hydrous oxide, and inorganic salt.

22. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 21 wherein the clay includes an aluminosilicate-based exchange material selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, kaolinite, vermiculite, smectite, hectorite, mica, bentonite, nontronite, beidellite, volkonskoite, saponite, magadite, kenyaite, zeolite, alumina, and rutile.

23. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 21 , wherein the clay is modified to make it more compatible with organic matrices, a clay modification including exfoliation which helps to separate platelets of inorganic substance.

24. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 21 , wherein the clay includes a modified montmorillonite consisting of montmorillonite treated with a modifier material selected from a group consisting of aminododecanoic acid, trimethyl stearate ammonium, octadecylamine, and methyl dihydroxy hydrogenated tallow ammonium.

25. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the polymer-based material has linear, branched, or network morphology.

26. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the polymer-based material includes material selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile/butadiene/stryene rubber (ABS), styrene butadiene/acrylate/acetate polymer blends, epoxides, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyaryl ethers, and polysulfones.

27. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the inorganic cation exchange material, the silica-based material and the polymer-based material comprise 90 wt % or more of the solids content of the composite electrolyte.

28. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the composite electrolyte when measured in the substantially dried state consists essentially of the inorganic cation exchange material, the silica-based material and the polymer-based material.

29. The electrochemical fuel cell of claim 18 wherein the composite electrolyte has a proton conductivity of about 0.05 S/cm or higher.