H2/Cl2 fuel cell for co-generation of electricity and HCl

A H2/Cl2 fuel cell system with an aqueous electrolyte and gas diffusion electrodes has been investigated and the effects of electrolyte concentration and temperature on the open circuit voltage (OCV) and cell performance have been evaluated. Furthermore, the kinetics and long-term stability of Pt as electrocatalyst have been studied under various conditions. In addition, the long-term stability of Rh electrocatalyst has been evaluated. The OCV obtained showed that the Cl2 reduction is more reversible than O2 reduction. The ohmic drop was determining the cell performance at high current densities. An output power of about 0.5 W cm−2 was achieved with this system.