AEM membrane

Understand

What this part does and what decides it

Why it matters

The membrane keeps hydrogen and oxygen apart while letting hydroxide ions through. A thinner membrane has lower resistance, so cell voltage drops at the same current, but crossover rises and oxygen on the hydrogen side goes up with it. Thickness is a trade between efficiency and safety, and which way you go is set by operating pressure and target purity.

IN OUR OWN SYSTEMS

This is the same material family we use in our own stacks and electrodes. We have purchased and handled more than one family, so we can compare options of different thickness and construction on the same basis. Our own long-run stack data also came from this material family. If you need a verified figure for one particular family, we provide it separately with its conditions.

Background

What actually separates one membrane from another

Three things decide the choice. Fix these three axes first and the manufacturer and family follow from them.

Thickness: Thinner means lower resistance; thicker means less crossover
Construction: Single layer or reinforced composite. At the same thickness, mechanical behaviour differs
Web width: The largest single piece we can cut. Read it first if you build large cells

Single layer versus reinforced composite

A single layer membrane is one layer of ion exchange polymer. A reinforced composite fills a porous support layer with that same polymer. The ion pathway is the same, but the support holds the shape. At a given thickness that means higher tensile strength and less dimensional change as it wets and dries. The trade is that the support occupies part of the ion pathway, so resistance is slightly higher at the same thickness. Repeated clamping and wet-dry cycling make the membrane expand and contract, and the edges and the area around the ports go first. The support layer restrains that movement.

What arrives

The stock comes on a roll. Tell us the size you need and we cut it from the roll; our standard cut is 300 × 300 mm. Web width therefore sets the largest single piece available, and anything wider is cut in sections. Some families also come in a sheet size fixed by the manufacturer.

Choose

The options and the models we handle

What you can choose

Start here and we adjust to your conditions. We can usually source what is not listed.

	Thin single layer	Reinforced composite	Thick single layer
Thickness	40 – 50 µm	50 – 75 µm	80 µm
Where it fits	When you want low resistance	Repeated assembly, long runs	Pressurised operation, high purity
	The thinnest option, so resistance is lowest. Used for evaluation at ambient or low pressure. The thin single layer group below is where these sit.	A reinforcement layer makes it mechanically stable, so it takes repeated clamping and wet-dry cycling better than a single layer does. The reinforced composite group below is where these sit.	Less crossover for the added thickness. Use it when oxygen on the hydrogen side has to stay low. The thick single layer group below is where these sit.
	Quote this option	Quote this option	Quote this option

If you have not settled on one of the three, tell us your operating pressure, your target hydrogen purity and how often the stack is opened. The family follows from those. For a family that is not listed, tell us your conditions and we will check whether we can source it.

Models we supply

The groups are split by physical choice: thickness sets resistance and crossover, and construction sets how much repeated clamping it takes and how long a run it will hold up over. Web width is the widest single piece we can cut, so read that column first if you are building large cells. Prices are quoted against your conditions.

Thin single layer — for low resistance

Model	Thickness	Web width	Supplied as	Origin	Quote this
VersogenPiperIONA40	40 µm	32 cm	Cut from roll	United States	Quote this
Sino-TechEHYDRO® AEM-01	50 µm	33 cm	Cut from sheet or roll	China	Quote this

Reinforced composite — for repeated assembly and long runs

Model	Thickness	Web width	Supplied as	Origin	Quote this
VersogenPiperIONA50R	50 µm	32 cm	Cut from roll	United States	Quote this

Thick single layer — for pressure and purity

Model	Thickness	Web width	Supplied as	Origin	Quote this
VersogenPiperIONA80	80 µm	32 cm	Cut from roll	United States	Quote this
Sino-TechEHYDRO® AEM-01	80 µm	33 cm	Cut from sheet or roll	China	Quote this

Order

What to settle before a quotation

What often goes wrong

Only what has come up more than once in real enquiries.

Which membrane fits

Is a thinner membrane always better?

No. Resistance drops but crossover rises. If you run under pressure or need high purity, the thicker side may be the right call.

When should we use the reinforced one?

When you open and close the stack often, or run it for long periods. Repeated clamping and wet-dry cycling wear the edges and the area around the ports first, and the support layer restrains that movement. If you are only screening for a few days in a single cell, you do not need it.

Do different families perform very differently?

At the same thickness, the substrate and the reinforcement method change mechanical behaviour. For short screening runs you do not need a reinforcement layer; for repeated assembly or long runs the reinforced side is better. Tell us your conditions and we will work out which family fits.

After it arrives

There is an extra film on the membrane. What is it?

A support substrate. It is a carrier added so a thin membrane is easier to handle, and it comes away when you immerse the membrane in water. What goes into the cell is the same membrane either way.

What we confirm before quoting

Once these are set, selection and quotation happen in one step. If they are not, we start there.

What it is for: single cell, short stack or full stack
Operating pressure and target hydrogen purity
Thickness band, or the families you want to compare
Number of sheets, cut size and when you need them

Supply terms

Supply scope: Cutting and domestic delivery; we carry the overseas purchase and customs
Cutting: Cut to your size within the web width; anything wider is cut in sections
Warranty: We verify conformity to the manufacturer specification. Performance under your operating conditions is not covered
Product names and manufacturers: EHYDRO® AEM-01 is a product of Ningbo Sino-Tech Hydrogen Membrane Technology Co., Ltd and is resold by us. PiperION is a Versogen product
Specification basis: We re-confirm the current manufacturer specification before placing an order