Development and performance characterisation of new electrocatalysts for PEMFC

• New electrocatalysts based on Pt, Pt-Ru and Pt-Pd have been prepared by the microemulsion method. This method allows the production of a very narrow size distribution of metal particles, with an average size smaller than that of conventional electrocatalysts prepared by impregnation. Eight membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) with an active surface area of 50 cm(2) were characterised in a single fuel cell. The MEAs consist of Nation 117 as membrane and a commercial electrocatalyst (40% Pt/C from E-TEK) on the cathode side, Four MEAs have electrocatalysts prepared by the microemulsion technique and the other four have commercial electrocatalysts on the anode side. The performance of the eight MEAs was evaluated by measuring the fuel cell polarisation curves and the internal resistance with H-2/O-2 and H-2/air, at 60 T and pressure in the range from I to 3 bar. The MEAs with the electrocatalysts prepared by microemulsion showed a performance comparable to that of the MEAs with commercial electrocatalysts. The satisfactory results obtained show that microemulsion is a promising method for the preparation of electrocatalysts for fuel cells. Further effort will be devoted to the optimisation of the method, mainly, the deposition of the metal particles on the carbon support, which it is expected to enhance the fuel cell performance.

Nyckelord

polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

membrane electrode

assembly (MEA) electrocatalyst

microemulsion method

electrolyte fuel-cells

metal particles

catalysts

microemulsion

ru

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