Influence of different polymeric membranes on the performance of Microbial Fuel Cells (CCMs) in energy generation

• Grant number: 20/13346-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Antunes Nolasco
• Grantee: João Victor Machado
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With the advancement of everyday technologies, in the environmental field, the importance of keeping research parallel to these advances is perceived, the technological proposal is the use of Microbial Fuel Cells (CCM) for the treatment of waste water and generation of energy. The use of CCM stands out mainly for its efficiency in energy generation, thanks to several components, one of which is used as the basis for this project is the proton exchange membrane. Nafion and chitosan membranes are considered to be the most effective in ion mobility through the fuel cell system, however the cost of Nafion membranes is high, where limitations are found for their full-scale application, whereas chitosan membranes has apparently high value, but it is possible to obtain through processes by the N-deacetylation of chitin, abundant in invertebrate shells. As proposed, we have a comparative study between the Nafion membrane with a chitosan membrane (prepared in the laboratory), chitosan membrane production, chitosan blend production with PEO, aligning the study of its influences on the energy generating system and its characterization, together, these data can provide a quality in the use of the membrane and consequently the reduction of its cost, making the real scale is a promising alternative.