#TITLE_ALTERNATIVE#

• Main Author: DWI AMBARINI (NIM 10504018), LELLY
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/8459
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Energy conserving problems have motivated many researches to find efficient fuel cell. Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is one of the systems that work based on electrochemistry principle which converts chemical energy to electricity. In PEMFC, electrolyte polymer membrane is used as proton transfer medium. In this research, electrolyte membranes are prepared from polyblends between polystyrene (PS), sulfonated polystyrene (PSS), and chitosan prepared by mechanical technique (hot-pressed). The sulfonation of polystyrene was carried out by reaction with acetyl sulphate for 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes to add SO3H group in polystyrene to enable those membranes conduct H+ ion. Membranes prepared in this research are PS:Chitosan (8:2) membrane and four other PS:PSS:Chitosan (8:1:1) membranes with different sulfonation degree. Those membranes were characterized by Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), Thermal Gravity Analysis/Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA/DTA), swelling test, Ion Exchange Capacity <br /> <br /> <br /> (IEC) test, conductivity measurement, and mechanical test. Optimum swelling and conductivity were obtained from PSS sulfonated for 45 minutes while optimum IEC was obtained from PSS sulfonated for 60 minutes. Mechanical properties of polyblends prepared in this research were almost the same, but thermal stabilization of polyblends decrease with <br /> <br /> <br /> increasing PSS and chitosan component.