2023 AIChE Annual Meeting
(87o) Development of High-Power and Durable MEA for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Using Structured Carbon Nanofiber Matrix
As fuel cells are being commercialized, the need to reduce the cost of platinum catalysts is becoming more pressing, as they account for approximately 40% of the final cost. Therefore, enhancing the activity and durability of platinum electrode catalysts is essential to reduce the final cost. Although various platinum-based catalysts have been developed, the performance in commercial use remains low compared to the state-of-the-art evaluated using a three-electrode system with a rotating disk electrode.
One of the main reasons for the reduced performance is the formation of a carbon-platinum-ionomer aggregate through interactions between solvents and materials and the random arrangement and drying of the aggregate to form an electrode layer.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a new electrode structure that can actively control the structure of the electrode layer to optimize the performance of the electrode. This research aims to derive optimization factors for the performance of electrodes by controlling the composition and structure of the electrode layer through active control, rather than forming a random structure of electrode materials.
A well-designed membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA) composed of electrode layers of effective materials and structure can alter the performance and durability of PEMFC. To achieve excellent electrochemical properties, active Pt nanoparticles are controlled by a nano-glue effect on a highly graphitized carbon surface. The developed MEA exhibits a notable maximum power density of 1082 mW/cm2 at 80 °C, H2/air, 50% RH, 1.8 atm, and low cathode loading of 0.1 mgPt/cm2, and catalytic performance decays of only 23.18% under commercial based durability protocols, respectively.
The developed technology can be used as a platform technology that can be applied to the commercial production of fuel cells, thereby achieving all desirables for commercial applications.
One of the main reasons for the reduced performance is the formation of a carbon-platinum-ionomer aggregate through interactions between solvents and materials and the random arrangement and drying of the aggregate to form an electrode layer.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a new electrode structure that can actively control the structure of the electrode layer to optimize the performance of the electrode. This research aims to derive optimization factors for the performance of electrodes by controlling the composition and structure of the electrode layer through active control, rather than forming a random structure of electrode materials.
A well-designed membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA) composed of electrode layers of effective materials and structure can alter the performance and durability of PEMFC. To achieve excellent electrochemical properties, active Pt nanoparticles are controlled by a nano-glue effect on a highly graphitized carbon surface. The developed MEA exhibits a notable maximum power density of 1082 mW/cm2 at 80 °C, H2/air, 50% RH, 1.8 atm, and low cathode loading of 0.1 mgPt/cm2, and catalytic performance decays of only 23.18% under commercial based durability protocols, respectively.
The developed technology can be used as a platform technology that can be applied to the commercial production of fuel cells, thereby achieving all desirables for commercial applications.