Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) coated with a hydrophobic microporous layer (MPL) have been commonly used to improve water management properties of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). In the present study, a novel hydrophilic and hydrophobic double MPL coated GDL was developed to achieve further enhancement of the PEFC performance under both low and high humidity conditions. Under low humidity conditions, a thin hydrophilic layer using titanium dioxide coated on the hydrophobic MPL is effective to conserve the humidity of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), while a hydrophobic intermediate MPL between the hydrophilic layer and the carbon paper substrate prevents removal of water in the hydrophilic layer. This results in a significant enhancement of the ability of the MPL to prevent drying-up of the MEA. Under high humidity conditions, the double MPL coated GDL with appropriate pore diameter, thickness, and hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties is also effective to reduce flooding on the cathode catalyst layer, resulting in the higher PEFC performance compared with that for a hydrophobic MPL coated GDL.
Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) coated with a hydrophobic microporous layer (MPL) have been commonly used to improve water management properties of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). In the present study, a novel hydrophilic and hydrophobic double MPL coated GDL was developed to further enhance the PEFC performance under both low and high humidity conditions. Under low humidity conditions, a thin hydrophilic layer using titanium dioxide coated on the hydrophobic MPL is effective to conserve the humidity of the MEA, while a hydrophobic intermediate MPL between the hydrophilic layer and the GDL substrate prevents the removal of water in the hydrophilic layer. Under high humidity conditions, a double MPL coated GDL is also effective to reduce flooding on the cathode catalyst layer, which results in a higher PEFC performance compared with that for a conventional hydrophobic MPL coated GDL.
Gas diffusion layers (GDLs) coated with a hydrophobic microporous layer (MPL) have been commonly used to improve water management properties of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). In the present study, a novel triple MPL coated GDL, in which the hydrophilic layer was coated on the hydrophobic double MPL, was developed to achieve further enhancement of the PEFC performance under both low and high humidity. Under low humidity, a hydrophilic layer is effective to conserve the humidity of the MEA, while a hydrophobic double MPL prevents the removal of water from the hydrophilic layer. The triple MPL coated GDL, in which the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) content in the hydrophobic MPL in contact with the hydrophilic layer is 30 mass% and that in contact with the carbon paper substrate is 10 mass%, is effective to expel excess water at the catalyst layer, which results in a much higher performance under high humidity.
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