Development and electrochemical studies of gas diffusion electrodes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Electrochemical studies on low catalyst loading gas diffusion electrodes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells are reported. The best performance is obtained with an electrode formed from 20 wt% Pt/C, 0.4 mg Pt cm−2 and 1.1 mg Nafion® cm−2 in the catalyst layer and 15% PTFE in a diffusion layer of 50 µm thickness, for both the cathode and the anode. However, it is also observed that the platinum requirement can be diminished to values close to 0.2 mg Pt cm−2 in the cathode and 0.1 mg pt cm−2 in the anode, without appreciably affecting the good characteristics of the fuel cell response. The experimental fuel cell data were analysed using theoretical models of the electrode structure and of the fuel cell system. It is seen that most of the electrode systems present limiting currents and some also show linear diffusion components arising from diffusion limitations in the gas channels and/or in the thin film of electrolyte covering the catalyst particles.

[1]  N. Giordano,et al.  Nafion Distribution in Gas Diffusion Electrodes for Solid‐Polymer‐Electrolyte‐Fuel‐Cell Applications , 1992 .

[2]  G. Tamizhmani,et al.  Improved Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Performance of Platinum Ternary Alloy‐Oxide in Solid‐Polymer‐Electrolyte Fuel Cells , 1994 .

[3]  Pehr Björnbom,et al.  Modelling of a double-layered PTFE-bonded oxygen electrode , 1987 .

[4]  I. Raistrick.  Impedance studies of porous electrodes , 1990 .

[5]  T. E. Springer,et al.  Electrical Impedance of a Pore Wall for the Flooded‐Agglomerate Model of Porous Gas‐Diffusion Electrodes , 1989 .

[6]  Thomas F. Fuller,et al.  Experimental Determination of the Transport Number of Water in Nafion 117 Membrane , 1992 .

[7]  Ralph E. White,et al.  Hydrogen Diffusion, Solubility, and Water Uptake in Dow's Short‐Side‐Chain Perfluorocarbon Membranes , 1992 .

[8]  T. Springer,et al.  Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Model , 1991 .

[9]  Shimshon Gottesfeld,et al.  Surface Area Loss of Supported Platinum in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells , 1993 .

[10]  Ralph E. White,et al.  A water and heat management model for proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells , 1993 .

[11]  Peter S. Fedkiw,et al.  In Situ Electrode Formation on a Nafion Membrane by Chemical Platinization , 1992 .

[12]  G. Stoner,et al.  Microstructural Effects on Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Activity of Nano‐Grained Thin‐film Platinum in Acid Media , 1994 .

[13]  Edson A. Ticianelli,et al.  Localization of platinum in low catalyst loading electrodes to to attain high power densities in SPE fuel cells , 1988 .

[14]  Edson A. Ticianelli,et al.  Dependence of performance of solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells with low platinum loading on morphologic characteristics of the electrodes , 1991 .

[15]  A. Parthasarathy,et al.  Pressure Dependence of the Oxygen Reduction Reaction at the Platinum Microelectrode/Nafion Interface: Electrode Kinetics and Mass Transport , 1992 .

[16]  E. Ticianelli,et al.  Characterization of the limiting structural effects on the electrochemical behavior of porous gas diffusion electrodes , 1993 .

[17]  A. Damjanović,et al.  Different views regarding the kinetics and mechanisms of oxygen reduction at Pt and Pd electrodes , 1987 .

[18]  T. Springer,et al.  A Comparative Study of Water Uptake By and Transport Through Ionomeric Fuel Cell Membranes , 1993 .

[19]  T. Springer,et al.  Water Uptake by and Transport Through Nafion® 117 Membranes , 1993 .

[20]  Yong Woo Rho,et al.  Mass Transport Phenomena in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Using O 2 / He , O 2 / Ar , and O 2 / N 2 Mixtures I . Experimental Analysis , 1994 .

[21]  Edson A. Ticianelli,et al.  Methods to Advance Technology of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells , 1988 .

[22]  Michael B. Cutlip,et al.  Voltage Losses in Fuel Cell Cathodes , 1980 .

[23]  G. Maggio,et al.  Influence of electrodic properties on water management in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell , 1992 .

[24]  T. Springer,et al.  Modeling and Experimental Diagnostics in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells , 1993 .

[25]  M. B. Cutlip.  An approximate model for mass transfer with reaction inporous gas diffusion electrodes , 1975 .

[26]  Ralph E. White,et al.  Oxygen Reduction in a Proton Exchange Membrane Test Cell , 1989 .

[27]  F. R. Foulkes,et al.  Fuel Cell Handbook , 1989 .