Variations in the structure and electrochemical characteristics of membrane electrode assemblies during the endurance testing of hydrogen-air fuel cells

摘要

Variations in the characteristics of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) are studied during the endurance testing of a hydrogen-air fuel cell (FC) based on a Nafion 212 proton conducting membrane and platinum catalysts. It is shown that the voltage drop observed during MEA testing was mainly due to physicochemical transformations of the cathode catalyst, i.e., the oxidation of platinum and its subsequent recrystallization with nanoparticle coarsening. It is established that the rate of degradation increases along with temperature and loading, and with periodic FC depressurization. It is concluded that the enhancing effects of additional factors of degradation, e.g., platinum ion transport to the proton-conducting membrane and corrosion of the carbon carrier, were responsible for these processes.