Improvement of fuel cell performances through the enhanced dispersion of the PTFE binder in electrodes for use in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Abstract

In high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs), it is important that the structure of the electrode catalyst layer is formed uniformly. To achieve this, the binder must be well dispersed; however, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is commonly employed in the preparation of HT-PEMFCs, is difficult to disperse during electrode manufacture due to its high hydrophobicity. In this study, we fabricate electrodes containing a surfactant to improve the dispersion of the PTFE binder and to enhance reproducibility during electrode manufacture. The electrodes are commonly prepared via a bar coating method, which is known to exhibit poor dispersion due to the small amounts of solvent employed compared to the spraying method. We then compare the properties of the obtained electrodes prepared in the presence and absence of the surfactant through physical and electrochemical characterization. It is found that the electrode containing the surfactant is structurally superior, and its single cell performance is significantly higher (i.e., 0.65 V at 0.2 Am cm−2). The single cells are suitable for operation at 150 °C using H2/air at atmospheric pressure and a total platinum loading of 2.0 mg cm−2.