Development of advanced Kocite electrocatalysts for phosphoric acid fuel cells. Final technical report, September 1979-December 1980

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5940199

Welsh, L S; Leyerle, R W; Scarlata, D S; Vanek, M A

These improved electrocatalysts should demonstrate a larger initial catalytic metal surface area, and a better catalytic metal surface area retention during fuel cell operation than present state-of-the-art phosphoric acid electrocatalysts. Kocite electrocatalysts impregnated with platinum and platinum-vanadium alloys were tested. The Kocite electrocatalysts were aged in electrodes potentiostated in H3PO4 half cells, and were then analyzed for catalytic metals surface area retention. Compared with the state-of-the-art platinum electrocatalysts, as represented by a standard Kocite electrocatalyst, the Kocite electrocatalysts impregnated by the techniques used in this study has a better initial platinum surface area. This initial surface area difference appeared to be maintained when the catalysts are aged at 700 mV, but was not maintained when the catalysts were aged at 800 mV. Variations of the alumina substrate and of the post-treatment of the leached Kocite catalyst support did not produce any catalysts with better platinum surface area retention than the standard catalyst. Alloying of vanadium with the platinum did produce Kocite electrocatalysts which maintained their alloy surface area better than the standard catalyst maintained its platinum surface area.

• Research Organization: UOP, Inc., Des Plaines, IL (USA). Corporate Research Center
• OSTI ID: 5940199
• Report Number(s): AD-A-099910/2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300503* -- Fuel Cells-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
ACID ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS
AGING
ALLOYS
CATALYST SUPPORTS
CATALYSTS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCATALYSTS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FUEL CELLS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
METALS
PHOSPHORIC ACID
PLATINUM
PLATINUM ALLOYS
PLATINUM METAL ALLOYS
PLATINUM METALS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VANADIUM ALLOYS