A novel low cost polyvinyl alcohol-Nafion-borosilicate membrane separator for microbial fuel cell

Tiwari, Bikash Ranjan; Noori, Md. T.; Ghangrekar, Makarand M.

doi:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2016.07.008

Cited by 96 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The different aspects which need focus are: 1) optimization of the type of bacteria; 2) required environment to target the wastewater from different sources (domestic, sewage treatment plant, chemical industry plants, paper industry, etc. ); 3) finding a proper proton exchange membrane (PEM); 4) finding suitable electrode; and 5) optimization of the cell design (such as dual chamber, single chamber, tubular plates, and stack MFC, etc …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Arrowroot Starch‐Based Polymer Electrolytes and Its Application in MFC

et al. 2019

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Microbial fuel cell (MFC), a biochemical‐catalyzed system which generates electricity by oxidizing biodegradable organic matter in the presence of either fermentative bacteria or enzymes, is a growing technology for electricity generation. It is a dual functioning technology which not only generates electricity but also treats wastewater, thereby addressing two major problems of the present world. As the technology is an emerging one, there are numerous challenges to be confronted. One of the vital components of the MFC is the proton exchange membrane (PEM), and it is due to the high cost of this membrane that MFC technology is still running at laboratory scale. In the present study, a starch‐based electrolyte film is used as PEM. Electrochemical behavior exhibited by the starch electrolyte is studied and on using it as PEM in MFC it is found to exhibit power density of ≈16 mW m−2 and the current density of ≈85 mA m−2. One of the main advantages of the material is its cost which is approximately INR ≈940 per square foot compared to INR 70 000 per square foot of Nafion (the most popular membrane).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Arrowroot Starch‐Based Polymer Electrolytes and Its Application in MFC

et al. 2019

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“…In both cases, particular pros and cons exist, where the presence/absence of separators is a definitive factor to take into account concerning the achievable performance [15][16][17][18]. Despite membrane-less BES can be characterized by (i) less complex design, (ii) certain savings in material (investment) costs [19] as well as (iii) decreased internal resistance, efficiencies are often declined due to the occurrence of side-reaction. For example, on the one hand, in MFCs lacking the membrane, enhanced transport of oxygen from the cathode to the anode is a threat and to be noted as a perturbation on biomass growth and activity of electro-active microbes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To enhance Nafion properties, several attempts have been realized via its combination with other materials to manufacture special composite membranes[57,106] i.e. carbon nanocomposite/Nafion[107], PVA-Nafion-borosilicate[19], Nafion with silica-based functionalized fillers[108], Nafion/PVDF nanofiber[109], etc.Apart from that, efforts have been made to substitute Nafion and apply membranes that fit better with the demands in BES, both in economical and technological terms. The major directions in the literature point to the improvement of individual polymer properties, the development of polymer blends and fabrication of composites with polymer content.…”

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confidence: 99%

Architectural engineering of bioelectrochemical systems from the perspective of polymeric membrane separators: A comprehensive update on recent progress and future prospects

Bakonyi

Koók

Kumar

et al. 2018

Journal of Membrane Science

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Significant advances in the design of bioelectrochemical systems (BES) have promoted these applications to be seen as contemporary biotechnological platforms. However, notable issues in system architecture are still to be addressed and overcome, in particular concerning the membrane separators, which rely widely on polymers. These architectural components play a key-role in facilitating the transport of ions (i.e. protons) between the (compartments containing the) electrodes and therefore, their properties substantially influence the overall BES performance. This article aims presenting an up-to-date survey on the important accomplishments and promising outlooks with polymer-based membranes (both porous/non-porous, charged/uncharged) applied in BES (first and foremost microbial fuel cells, MFCs) that could drive this technology towards enhanced efficiency. Because of the interdisciplinary concept of BES, it attracts attention from scientists and engineers involved in environmental biotechnology, microbial electrochemistry and applied material sciences and as a result, this review paper would target the audience of these fields with particular interest on the progress with membrane separators fabricated with various polymeric materials.

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“…In spite of serving the dual purpose of waste reduction and simultaneous energy harvesting, this technology is still eclipsed by the high cost of materials like catalyzed electrodes (such as platinum, palladium and other novel metals) and PEM (Nafion), which is popularly used as separator to separate anodic and cathodic chamber. Membrane separator almost accounts for one-third of MFC"s manufacturing cost [8]. Recently, a low cost PVA-Nafion borosilicate membrane was developed and successfully used as a separator in MFC fed with acetate wastewater [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Membrane separator almost accounts for one-third of MFC"s manufacturing cost [8]. Recently, a low cost PVA-Nafion borosilicate membrane was developed and successfully used as a separator in MFC fed with acetate wastewater [8]. Use of this low cost separator in MFCs can reduce the manufacturing cost of MFCs and pave the way for their real B. R. Tiwari and M. M. Ghangrekar…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%