Reinforced high-performance membrane electrode assembly for proton exchange membrane fuel cell prepared via direct membrane deposition

LI Xue; ZHANG Hong; LIN Cheng; WANG Shubo; XIE Xiaofeng

doi:10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2021.22.028

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Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology) ›› 2021, Vol. 61 ›› Issue (10) : 1039-1045. DOI: 10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2021.22.028

FUEL CELLS AND LITHIUMION BATTERIES

Reinforced high-performance membrane electrode assembly for proton exchange membrane fuel cell prepared via direct membrane deposition

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Abstract

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells is directly related to the properties of the membrane electrode assembly which can be significantly improved by ultra-thin proton exchange membranes. In this study, electrospinning and direct membrane deposition were used to prepare poly(arylene ether sulfone) nanofiber reinforced proton exchange membranes. The resulting composite membrane was very thin, about 13 μm. The fuel cell peak power density with H₂/air with this membrane of 1.18 W/cm² was 23% higher than with a commercial membrane of similar thickness (Nafion^® NC700-CCM), 0.96 W/cm². By optimizing the catalyst ink composition and using gas diffusion layer with better hydrophobicity, the fuel cell peak power density increased to 3.55 W/cm² for H₂/O₂. The relative humidity at the cathode had little influence on the fuel cell performance. Hence, the membrane electrode assembly reinforced with a poly(arylene ether sulfone) nanofiber layer provides excellent fuel cell performance, even with low humidities for fuel cell applications.

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proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) / direct membrane deposition / nanofibers / reinforcement layer

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LI Xue, ZHANG Hong, LIN Cheng, WANG Shubo, XIE Xiaofeng. Reinforced high-performance membrane electrode assembly for proton exchange membrane fuel cell prepared via direct membrane deposition[J]. Journal of Tsinghua University(Science and Technology). 2021, 61(10): 1039-1045 https://doi.org/10.16511/j.cnki.qhdxxb.2021.22.028

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