For long time electrolysis has been widely used in different areas of chemistry. In industry electrolysis is used for producing pure metals but it is also an environmentally friendly way of conserve energy from renewable sources. Energy is stored as hydrogen which can be turned back in to electrical energy with a fuel cell in a desired sight.

The potential required for electrolysis can be lowered by using methanol as a reagent instead of water. Using methanol has its own problems as the reaction kinetics is slower and carbon dioxide is formed as a by-product. Electrolysis based on methanol hasn't been researched nearly as much as water electrolysis and there aren't yet any publications on alkaline methanol electrolysis.

In this thesis producing method was developed for anion-exchange MEA (membrane electrode assembly) with FAA-2 membrane and commercial PVBTA-ionomer (polyvinylbenzyltrimethylammonium) and the MEA performance was measured in fuel cell and in electrolysis cell. Additionally the effect of heat treatment to FAA-2 membrane was researched and the parameters used in the MEA preparation were optimized.

The results show that PVBTA-ionomer is applicable in alkaline methanol fuel cell and higher currents were received than with another ionomer. In methanol electrolysis hydrogen production started already on much lower potentials than in water electrolysis. These results are promising and they give ground for further research in this subject.