Role of Binders in High Temperature PEMFC Electrode

Abstract

Several different binders for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) were tested to investigate the effects of binder properties on cell performance. The cell voltage values measured with electrodes with PTFE binders are compared to that obtained with electrode with PBI or polyurethane binders. The electrodes that used PBI and polyurethane binders showed Tafel slopes of 87 mV/decade, and the values were lower than the Tafel slope measured from Teflon containing electrodes which showed the Tafel slope value of 100 mV/decade. Pt utilization also showed dependence on the kind of binders used in the electrodes. When PTFE or polyurethane binder was used, Pt utilization of 15% was measured. The PBI binder was found to reduce Pt utilization, and 10% of catalyst utilization was measured. The changes in Tafel slope, Pt utilization, ηohm affected cell performance, and it was found that the electrodes with polyurethane binder showed the highest cell voltage among the tested binders with the cell voltage of 0.619V @ 0.2 A/cm2. Binder properties also affected cell life time. By increasing Teflon content in the electrode, it was possible to operate cells for a longer period.

Design and Synthesis of Cross-Linked Copolymer Membranes Based on Poly(benzoxazine) and Polybenzimidazole and Their Application to an Electrolyte Membrane for a High-Temperature PEM Fuel Cell

“…Binders and the presence of certain polymers in electrodes were found to enhance the performance of fuel cells by increasing the rate of Pt utilization and the cell performance [8]. For the fuel cell that used the phosphoric-acid-doped PBI electrolyte, the amount of PBI in the catalyst layer was found to affect the cell performance [124].…”

“…The target market for fuel cell systems that use phosphoric-acid-based MEA are portable and residential applications. In order to be applied in these fields, the fuel cell systems need to be less expensive and more durable such that they can operate for more than 40,000 h. The properties of the membrane are critical for achieving the durability targets of the fuel cell system, and many recent works have been reported to enhance the performance of the membranes used in high-temperature PEMFCs [8,9].…”

Fluorine‐Free Water‐in‐Salt Electrolyte for Green and Low‐Cost Aqueous Sodium‐Ion Batteries

“…[14] Carbon coating was applied to overcome the poor electronic conductivity of the NA-SICON-type NTP. [14] The resultso fg alvanostatic charge-discharge tests conducted at ac urrentd ensity of 0.1 Ag À1 are given in Figure 3. The NMHCF electrode displayed ad esodiation capacity of 117mAh À1 g À1 ,b ut as odiation capacity of only 75 mA h À1 g À1 .…”

Fault diagnosis in a current sensor and its application to fault-tolerant control for an air supply subsystem of a 50 kW-Grade fuel cell engine

“…[1][2][3] Among the various fuel cells, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology has been a research and commercialization focus in the stationary, mobile and transportation applications for its high-power density and efficiency, low operating temperature, and a quick response to the load. [4][5][6] In recent years, the famous commercialized vehicles, such as "Mirai" of Toyota, "Clarity" of Honda, "ix35" and "NEXO" of Hyundai, have validated the sufficient performances of PEMFC for transportation applications with power of up to 100 kW. However, there are still some challenges such as lifetime, durability, costs, reliability, safety, and maintenance for fuel cells to overcome in commercial applications.…”