Brief review of solid polymer electrolyte for direct ethanol fuel cells applications

Direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) are promising for portable power source due to ethanol non toxic, renewable and high energy density. DEFC is grouped according to the type of membrane used either acidic and alkaline. In this review, the development of acidic membrane and alkaline membrane of previous literature is presented including the commercial membranes. In addition to that, different types of polymeric and filler including organic and inorganic membrane is discussed. Membrane performance and behavior is determined from it's characterization covering variables such as water uptake, ion exchange capacity, ethanol permeability, conductivity and membrane morphology. Future membrane development is discussed towards to maximized the DEFC performance ,that will enable the technology entering the commercial market.