FABRICATION AND MODIFICATION OF CHITOSAN/PAHAE NATURAL ZEOLITE/REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE (CS/PNZ/rGO)–BASED POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANES

Integration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to membranes and its effect on the physicochemical properties with chitosan/natural zeolite from Pahae (PNZ) was investigated. Membranes were fabricated using a solution casting method and sulfuric acid crosslinking. The results showed that the CS/PNZ/rGO membrane (0.5% w/w) exhibited the highest tensile strength of 17.8 MPa. All rGO-modified membranes displayed a higher tensile strength than CS/PNZ-based membranes with only 10.8 MPa. The optimum elongation at break properties of CS/PNZ/rGO (1.5% w/w) was 2.9%. The membrane was stable under oxidative stress for 416 min while the CS/PNZ/rGO membrane (1.5% w/w) persisted until 686 min. The modified rGO membranes crosslinked with sulfuric acid were improved through tensile strength and stable against oxidation. As the modified membranes showed desirable properties from our study, it was then possible to be utilized as renewed polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM).