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Title: Electrochemical characteristics of acid electrolytes for fuel cells. Annual report, August 1985-June 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6910516

Electrochemical characterization of a number of perfluorinated phosphinic and phosphinic acids and sulfonyl imides was carried out with the emphasis on the identification of alternate acid electrolytes that could replace the presently used phosphoric acid as an electrolyte in O/sub 2/-H/sub 2/ fuel cell. Oxygen reduction activity on smooth platinum and on gas fed high-surface-area platinum-catalyzed electrodes (Pt on XC-72 carbon support, Pt loading 10%) was examined. The polarization for oxygen reduction in bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide has been found to be less cathodic compared to that observed in phosphoric acid. The conductivities of both dilute and concentrated acids as a function of temperature were measured. The contact angle of concentrated acids with Teflon at 20/sup 0/C were also measured, and for the bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide it is greater than 90/sup 0/C.

Research Organization:
Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (USA)
OSTI ID:
6910516
Report Number(s):
PB-87-115283/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English