Preparation and characterization of polybenzimidazole membranes prepared by gelation in phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid doped poly (2, 2′‐(m‐phenylene)‐5, 5′‐bibenzimidazole) (PBI) membranes were prepared by dissolving PBI powders in 85% phosphoric acid at 190–200°C and then promoting gelation of the PBI by cooling the solutions to ?18°C. The extent of acid doping of the PBI membranes was controlled by immersing the membrane in aqueous phosphoric acid solutions of different concentrations (acid de‐doping). The process of the acid de‐doping was faster than acid doping of membrane cast from N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The de‐doping process caused shrinkage of the PBI membrane and thus an increase in the membrane strength due to the packing of PBI chains according to the X‐ray diffraction analysis. The tensile stress and proton conductivity of the obtained PBI membranes with different acid doping levels were measured. For a PBI (η_IV: 0.58 dL · g^?1) membrane with an acid doping level of 7.0 (molar number of doped acid per mole repeat unit of PBI), the stress at break and proton conductivity at 120°C without humidification were 2.6 MPa and 5.1 × 10^?2 S · cm^?1, respectively. These results were comparable to those of the membranes cast from PBI solutions in DMAc. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.