Membrane electrode assemblies degradation mechanism

Carter RN, Gu W, Brady B, Yu PT, Subramanian K, Gasteiger HA (2009) Membrane electrode assembly (MEA) degradation mechanism studies by current distribution measurements. 

Degradation of mechanical properties in polymeric membranes can occur in many forms like cracks, tears, punctures, or pinhole blisters. Hence, adequate care must be taken during membrane preparation to prevent nonuniform pressure between membrane electrode assembly and bipolar plates during operation. Lack of water can make a membrane brittle and fragile. Several steps can be taken to slow or prevent the degradation process. These methods include the following [9] ... 

To develop a durable membrane electrode assembly (MEA), it is of the utmost importance that the degradation mechanism is understood. A degradation study of a conventional MEA under low-humidity open circuit voltage (OCV) conditions was conducted (Endoh et al. 2004), and it was confirmed that the hydroxyl radical is the main cause of the MEA degradation. To overcome these challenges, extensive research has been conducted. 

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