ABSTRACT
Flow batteries and vanadium flow batteries (VFB), in particular, have attracted keen attention for electrochemical energy storage due to their potential for large-scale energy storage, which is deemed crucial for wide application of renewable energy sources. Following the design strategies of flow batteries, VFBs have an ion-conducting membrane that is responsible for transferring non-reaction ions to complete the internal circuit, as well as for separating the positive and negative electrolytes, which are stored in separate storage tanks. The identification and fabrication of suitable membranes with low cost and high performance becomes one of the most critical issues that hinder VFB development. Although different kinds of membranes, including ion exchange membranes and porous membranes, have already been explored and investigated for VFB application. In this chapter, we will start from the fundamental aspects of ion conducting membranes, including ion exchange membranes, the degradation mechanism of hydrocarbon ion-exchange membranes, and morphology control of porous membranes. We will then outline the status of ion-conducting membranes for VFB application. Finally, a summary and prospective will be briefly proposed.
