Ex-situ and In-situ Stability Studies of PEM Fuel Cell Catalysts: the effect of carbon type and humidification on the thermal degradation of carbon supported catalysts
One of the most significant challenges for proton exchange membrane fuel cells in stationary power generation systems is lifetime, where 40,000 hours of operation with less than 10% decay in performance is desired. There are several different membrane electrode assembly (MEA) associated degradation mechanisms inhibiting MEAs from obtaining their desired lifetime targets. The focus of this research is on the loss of cathode surface area over time, which results in MEA performance losses, since MEA performance is proportional to cathode catalyst surface area. Two proposed mechanisms, support oxidation and platinum dissolution, are studied using different accelerated tests. These results are compared to cathode catalyst surface area loss data from real-time fuel cell tests in order to decouple the two degradation mechanisms.
- Research Organization:
- 3M Company, Maplewood, MN (United States); Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC36-03GO13098
- OSTI ID:
- 883313
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/GO/13098-13; TRN: US200719%%260
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2005 Fuel Cell Seminar, Palm Springs, CA, November 2005
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CARBON
CATALYSTS
CATHODES
DECAY
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROCATALYSTS
ELECTRODES
FUEL CELLS
LIFETIME
MEMBRANES
OXIDATION
PLATINUM
POWER GENERATION
PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS
STABILITY
SURFACE AREA
TARGETS
THERMAL DEGRADATION
PEM fuel cell
accelerated testing
lifetime
cathode catalyst surface area