Direct methanol fuel cells using acid doped polybenzimidazole as a polymer electrolyte

Book · Mon Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:435561

Wainright, J S; Wang, J T; Savinell, R F ^[1]

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1. Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States). E.B. Yeager Center for Electrochemical Sciences

Direct methanol fuel cells have been constructed and tested using phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole as a polymer electrolyte. These cells utilize unsupported Pt-Ru alloy catalysts for methanol oxidation and unsupported Pt as a catalyst for oxygen reduction. The doped polybenzimidazole electrolyte membrane provides suitable proton conductivity (> 0.05 S/cm) and low methanol crossover rates (< 10 mA/cm{sup 2}) at temperatures up to 200 C. With catalyst loadings of 4 mg/cm{sup 2}, fuel cells operating at 200 C on atmospheric pressure reactants have produced over 0.18 W/cm{sup 2}.

• Sponsoring Organization: Office of Naval Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 435561
• Report Number(s): CONF-960805--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
ALCOHOL FUEL CELLS
BENZIMIDAZOLES
ELECTROCATALYSTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
METHANOL
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SOLID ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS
SOLID ELECTROLYTES