title: Mixed cellulose ester filter as a separator for air-diffusion cathode microbial fuel cells.
abstract: Separator is important to prevent bio-contamination of the catalyst layer of air-diffusion cathode microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Mixed cellulose ester filter (MCEF) was examined as a separator for an air-cathode MFC in the present study. The MCEF-MFC produced a maximum power density of 780.7 ± 18.7 mW/m2, which was comparable to 770.9 ± 35.9 mW/m2of MFC with Nafion membrane (NFM) as a separator. Long-term examination demonstrated a more stable performance of the MCEF-MFC than NFM-MFC. After 25 cycles, the maximum voltage of the MCEF-MFC decreased by only 1.3% from 425.1 ± 4.3 mV (initial 5 cycles) to 419.5 ± 2.3 mV (last 5 cycles). However, it was decreased by 9.1% from 424.8 ± 5.7 to 386 ± 2.5 mV for the NFM-MFC. The coulombic efficiency (CE) of the MCEF-MFC did not change (from 3.11 ± 0.09% to 3.13 ± 0.02%), while it decreased by 9.12% from 3.18 ± 0.04% to 2.89 ± 0.02% for the NFM-MFC. The MCEF separator was with less biofouling than the NFM separator over 60 days' operation, which might be the reason for the more table long-term performance of the MCEF-MFC. The results demonstrated that MCEF was feasible as a separator to set up good-performing and cost-effective air-diffusion cathode MFC.
authors.affiliation: a Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao , People's Republic of China.|b Department of Environmental Engineering , Daejeon University , Daejeon , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Zejie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: b Department of Environmental Engineering , Daejeon University , Daejeon , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bongsu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D057219:Biofouling; D002384:Catalysis; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry*; D005374:Filtration; D008422:Materials Testing
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D002482:Cellulose
keywords: Mixed cellulose ester filter; air-diffusion cathode; electric power generation; microbial fuel cell; separator