A Study of the Rheological Behavior of High-Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Solutions

The viscosity behavior of various compositions of polymer electrolyte membrane solutions, which are later hydrolyzed into proton conducting membrane film for fuel cells, is characterized. Using the Carreau-Yasuda model and time-temperature superposition, an empirical model relating the viscosity as a function of temperature and shear strain rate has been developed for several membrane solution compositions. It is observed that the viscosity of the non-Newtonian membrane has a strong correlation to the membrane's inherent viscosity (a property determined during membrane synthesis). (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 111: 1286-1292, 2009