Valorization of Local Resources for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Membranes: A Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Energy Alternative in Benin Republic (West Africa)
ORAL
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) convert hydrogen into electricity through an electrochemical process. PEMFCs are considered as one of the most promising clean energy technologies. However, they development remains limited in West Africa, because of the high-cost price of the membrane made of Nafion, a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer, a benchmark material for high-performance membranes. Recent studies have demonstrated that biopolymers such as chitosan can be modified to exhibit comparable conductivity, offering a sustainable and low cost alternative. This study explores the potential of locally sourced shrimp shells as a sustainable feedstock for chitosan-based membrane. Physicochemical analyses, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the degree of deacetylation (DDA), were conducted and compared with commercial chitosan. The extracted chitosan exhibited a DDA of 54.1 % and an extraction yield of 33%, compared to 97% for commercial material. These results demonstrate the feasibility of converting marine biowaste into renewable materials for green hydrogen and fuel cells technologies in Benin Republic.
Keywords: Chitosan, degree of deacetylation (DDA) X-ray diffraction (XRD), biopolymer
PEMFCs.
Keywords: Chitosan, degree of deacetylation (DDA) X-ray diffraction (XRD), biopolymer
PEMFCs.
*No grant was allocated to the research.
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Publication: Glinma, B., Koto N'Gobi, G., Agnimonhan, H.F., Kouchadé, C.A. and Kounouhéwa, B. (2025). Comparative Physicochemical Study
of Shellfish-Derived Chitosan from Southern Benin and Commercial Chitosan for PEM Fuel Cell Applications. Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,13, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.4236/msce.2025.1312001
Presenters
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KOTO N'GOBI Gabin
- University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin