The primary application of proton-exchange membranes is in PEM fuel cells. These fuel cells have a wide variety of commercial and military applications including in the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries.
Early PEM fuel cell applications were focused within the aerospace industry. The then-higher capacity of fuel cells compared to batteries made them ideal as NASA's Project Gemini began to target longer duration space missions than had previously been attempted.
, the automotive industry as well as personal and public power generation are the largest markets for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. PEM fuel cells are popular in automotive applications due to their relatively low operating temperature and their ability to start up quickly even in below-freezing conditions. As of March 2019 there were 6,558 fuel cell vehicles on the road in the United States, with the Toyota Mirai being the most popular model. PEM fuel cells have seen successful implementation in other forms of heavy machinery as well, with Ballard Power Systems supplying forklifts based on the technology. The primary challenge facing automotive PEM technology is the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen, currently an area of high research activity.
Polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis is a technique by which proton-exchange membranes are used to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. The proton-exchange membrane allows for the separation of produced hydrogen from oxygen, allowing either product to be exploited as needed. This process has been used variously to generate hydrogen fuel and oxygen for life-support systems in vessels such as US and Royal Navy submarines. A recent example is the construction of a 20 MW Air Liquide PEM electrolyzer plant in Québec. Similar PEM-based devices are available for the industrial production of ozone.