Degradation, PEFC

Ethylene glycol (EG, C2H6O2) is ubiquitously used in the automotive industry as an engine coolant, and hence a distribution infrastructure already exists. Also, EG has a crossover current density roughly half that of methanol [69]. However, PEFC performance with EG is still relatively low, with a fuel cell specific energy density about 20-40% less than that of the same fuel cell utilizing methanol. Additionally, EG has been shown to rapidly degrade PEFC elecfiolyte material, which obviously limits its potential PEFC applications. 

The porous electrodes in PEFCs are bonded to the surface of the ion-exchange membranes which are 0.12- to 0.25-mm thick by pressure and at a temperature usually between the glass-transition temperature and the thermal degradation temperature of the membrane. These conditions provide the necessary environment to produce an intimate contact between the electrocatalyst and the membrane surface. The early PEFCs contained Nafton membranes and about 4 mg/cm of Pt black in both the cathode and anode. Such electrode/membrane combinations, using the appropriate current coUectors and supporting stmcture in PEFCs and water electrolysis ceUs, are capable of operating at pressures up to 20.7 MPa (3000 psi), differential pressures up to 3.5 MPa (500 psi), and current densities of 2000 m A/cm. ... 

Too much, and the cell will flood too little, and the cell membrane will dehydrate. Both will severely degrade cell performance. The proper balance is achieved only by considering water production, evaporation, and humidification levels of the reactant gases. Achieving the proper level of humidification is also important. With too much humidification, the reactant gases will be diluted with a corresponding drop in performance. The required humidification level is a complex function of the cell temperature, pressure, reactant feed rates, and current density. Optimum PEFC performance is achieved with a fully saturated, yet unflooded membrane (47). 

Pozio, A., Silva, R. R, De Francesco, M. and Giorgi, L. 2003. Nafion degradation in PEFCs from end plate iron contamination. Electrochimica Acta 48 1543-1549. 

This volume of Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry is intended to provide an overview of advancements in experimental diagnostics and modeling of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Chapters by Huang and Reifsnider and Gu et al. provide an in-depth review of the durability issues in PEFCs as well as recent developments in understanding and mitigation of degradation in the polymer membrane and electrocatalyst. 

Takagi, Y. and Takakuwa, Y, Effect of shutoff sequence of hydrogen and air on performance degradation in PEFC, ECS Trans., 3, 855, 2006. 

Takagi, Y, Sato, Y., and Wang, Z., Effect of anode catalyst support on MEA degradation caused by hydrogen-starved operation of a PEFC, ECS Trans., 3, 827, 2006. 

Schulze, M. et al.. Degradation of sealings for PEFC test cells during fuel cell operation, J. Power Sources, 127, 222, 2004. 

St.-Pierre, J. et al.. Relationships between water management, contamination and lifetime degradation in PEFC, J. New Mater. Electrochem. Syst., 3, 90, 2000. 

An important supplementary tool for performance analysis of PEFC electrodes is the study of the complex impedance, as it provides a tool to monitor changes of electrode function upon variation of its composition. It can help to detect in real time the structural changes due to spontaneous or current-induced repartitioning of the elements of the porous dual percolation network, that could lead to phase segregation and catalyst layer degradation. 

The approach described in Sections 8.2.3 and 8.2.4.5.3 was used to construct quasi-2D (Q2D) analytical and semi-analytical models of PEFC [246, 247] and DMFC [248, 249], The Q2D model of a PEFC [246] takes into account water management effects, losses due to oxygen transport through the GDL, and the effect of oxygen stoichiometry. The model is fast and thus suitable for fitting however, the systematic comparison of model predictions with experiment has yet not been performed. Q2D approaches have been employed to construct a model of PEFC performance degradation [250], to explain the instabilities of PEFC operation [251, 252] and to rationalize the effect of CO2 bubbles in the anode channel on DMFC performance [253, 254],... 

Initially, poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) and sulfonated phenol-formaldehyde membranes were used for PEFCs, but the useful life of these materials was limited because of significant degradation under fuel-cell operating conditions. A critical breakthrough was achieved with the introduction of Nafion , a perfluorinated polymer with side chains... 

In spite of the documented, relatively high chemical stability of poly(PFSA) membranes in the fuel-cell environment, recent extensive work looking into the origins of performance loss observed in PEFCs has revealed important mechanisms of degradation that apply to perfluorinated membranes (while being further amplified in nonperfluorinated membranes). An important mechanism of membrane... 

A. A. Franco, M. Gerard. Multiscale Model of Carbon Corrosion in a PEFC Coupling with Electrocatalysis and Impact on Performance Degradation, J. Electrochem. Soc. , 155, B367-B384 (2008). 

Abstract This article outlines some history of and recent progress in perfluorinated membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). The structure, properties, synthesis, degradation problems, technology for high temperature membranes, reinforcement technology, and characterization methods of perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are reviewed. 

It has been found that EPDM performs reasonably stable [77] while silicones are more likely to degrade under the PEFC operating conditions [78-80]. 

Franco AA, Guinard M, Barthe B, Lemaire O (2009) Impact of carbon monoxide on PEFC catalyst carbon support degradation under current-cycled operating conditions. Electrochim Acta 54 5267-5279... 

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