Abstract
This paper reports the effects of Co 2+ contamination on PEM fuel cell performance as a function of Co 2+ concentration and operating temperature. A significant drop in fuel cell voltage occurred when Co 2+ was injected into the cathode air stream, and Co 2+ contamination became more severe with decreasing temperature. To investigate in detail the mechanism of Co 2+ poisoning, AC impedance was monitored before and during Co 2+ injection, revealing that both charge transfer and mass transport related processes deteriorated significantly in the presence of Co 2+, whereas membrane conductivity decreased to a lesser extent. Surface cyclic voltammetry and contact angle measurements further revealed changes in physical properties, such as active Pt surface area and hydrophilicity, furthering our understanding of the contamination process.
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