RSCE-SOMCHE 2008 473 Edited by Daud et al. PERFORMANCE OF NANO COMPOSITE MEMBRANES AS ELECTROLYTE FOR PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL (PEMFC) APPLICATION A. Mahreni, A.B. Mohamad, A. A. H. Kadhum, W.R. W. Daud Department of chemical and Process Engineering, Faculti of Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Bangi-Selangor DE- Malaysia 43600 Keywords: Nafion-SiO 2 -PWA; Performance; Proton conductivity; ABSTRACT Investigation of the single cell Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (SCPEMFC) using a series of Nafion-SiO 2 -PWA composite membranes as electrolyte have been carried out using the Arbin Fuel Cell Test System (FCTS). PEMFC performance and proton conductivity of the composite membrane have been determined over a temperature range of 30-90 o C at pressure 1-1.7 atm at 40% RH. Analysis with FCTS showed that higher current density was yielded by composite membrane (82 mAcm -2 at 0.6 V for NS15W) than with the Nafion membrane (30 mAcm -2 at 0.2 V) at 90 o C. Hence the composite is potentially a good candidate to substitute Nafion membrane especially for the electrolyte of PEMFC operating at higher temperature range and lower RH. INTRODUCTION Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) are well suited for a variety of applications by virtue of their efficiency, environment friendly nature and high power density. For automotive or stationary power application, several advantages could result operating a PEMFC at elevated temperature (above 100 o C), such as easier and more efficiency water management, higher reaction rate, improved CO tolerance by anode electro catalyst, faster heat rejection and better system integration [Ramani, V. et al. 2006]. However, operating a fuel cell above the boiling point of water necessitates neither pressurized operation at high relative humidity or lower relative humidity operation at atmospheric pressure The synthesis and physical-chemical characterizations of Nafion-SiO 2 -PWA composite membrane have been given elsewhere (Mahreni, A et al. 2008). The aim of this experiment is to investigate the prepared Nafion-SiO 2 - SCPEMFC)