Abstract
Membranes are widely used daily, such as for filtration in reverse osmosis, or in the form of electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Modified Nafion® membranes were synthesised by impregnation and their mechanical properties were observed. The effect of the incorporation of a ZrO2-CNT nano-filler within Nafion® membrane on the thermal stability and crystallinity was investigated by TGA and XRD. Tensile test results show the increases in the mechanical properties of Nafion® 117 membranes impregnated with ZrO2-CNT when compared with that of commercial Nafion® 117 membranes. The results also show that adding ZrO2-CNT in Nafion® 117 membranes improves the water contact angle and water uptake, as it enhances water retention within the membrane. The SEM results indicated that ZrO2-CNT was well distributed in the Nafion® 117 membrane pores through the impregnation method.