However, cost reduction is now an extremely important issue in fuel cells and the opportunity to use a lower cost membrane, ideally without the temperature and hydration requirements of Nafion has driven much research.
Examples of this research are given in a recent review of this area by George Marsh in Materials Today. Dais Analytic is one example of a company in this field. It is aiming to mimic the behaviour of Nafion with cheaper sulphonated materials for use in its small fuel cells. Extensive work suggests that performance levels are similar to Nafion-like fluorocarbon polymers with conductivity of roughly 0.09 S/cm. Dais Analytic has also looked at the formation of such compounds into films which could form membranes at competitive costs and this approach seems promising.
Other companies have taken a different approach to cost reduction. Carbon monoxide poisoning of catalyst performance is a major issue and typically requires higher loadings of more expensive precious metals. Raising the operating temperature of the fuel cell reduces the susceptibility to carbon monoxide poisoning and allows a reduction in the catalyst loading and cost. Companies such as Celanese have tried to achieve this with polybenzoimadazole higher temperature membranes, to be used in Honda's MEAs.