Abstract
Nafion composite membranes were formed from a recasting procedure previously reported by the authors. Montmorillonite (MMT) was used as a filler in the recasting procedure, and dimethylformamide (DMF) was used as the casting solvent. Fuel cell tests performed with the recast membrane showed that at low relative humidity (R.H.) the conductivity of the MMT-containing membranes is 10% higher than that of the MMT-free samples. In order to investigate the durability of such composite perfluorosulfonate membranes, long-term fuel cell experiments have been carried out. Results evidenced a strong effect of low RH on the lifetime of commercial polymer membranes, but the addition of a small silicate amount to the polymeric membrane reduced strongly the membrane degradation.
Highlights
Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) based on proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are considered as the leading candidates to replace the traditional power sources like the internal combustion engines
In previous paper [5], we have investigated the conductivity of a Nafion/MMT composite membrane formed by a recast process as a function of the relative humidity
By means of Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis (Figure 3), we have found a final average thickness of 35 ± 3 μm for Nafion 112, that is, a 10% reduction with respect to the thickness measured on the starting Membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) after the hot pressing process (39 μm)
Summary
Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) based on proton exchange membranes (PEMs) are considered as the leading candidates to replace the traditional power sources like the internal combustion engines. These systems find application in the cogeneration power for both stationary and portable systems. Very few works were devoted to the long-term study of in-situ performance at low R.H. and constant current mode [9,10,11,12] Since these works are different with respect to materials (membrane, catalyst, etc.) and operative conditions (current, cell temperature, etc.), it is very complicated to understand whether the differences are due only to the effect of R.H. on the membrane or to the degradation of other materials. Long-term tests have been performed using Nafion 112 and recast Nafion composite membranes [5] to clarify the main aspects related to perfluorosulfonate ionomer (PFSI) membrane degradation in low humidification conditions and give possible explanations to the observed phenomena
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