Using crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol polymer membrane as a separator in the microbial fuel cell

Separator between anode and cathode is an essential part of the microbial fuel cell (MFC) and its property could significantly influence the system performance. In this study we used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer membrane crosslinked with sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) as a new separator for the MFC. The highest power density of 759±4mW·m−2 was obtained when MFC using the PVA membrane crosslinked with 15% of SSA due to its desirable proton conductivity (5.16±10−2 S·cm−1). The power density significantly increased to 1106±30 mW·m−2 with a separator-electrode-assembly configuration, which was comparable with glass fiber (1170±46 mW·m−2). The coulombic efficiencies of the MFCs with crosslinked PVA membranes ranged from 36.3% to 45.7% at a fix external resistance of 1000 Ω. The crosslinked PVA membrane could be a promising alternative to separator materials for constructing practical MFC system.