Abstract
The impact of low level concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and SO2 recovery methods on the degradation of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) components of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was studied. MEAs were exposed to 2ppm SO2 for various exposure times at constant current density of 0.6 A/cm2 and a cell temperature of 80oC. Severe performance degradation was observed due to SO2 exposure and cell performance only partially recovered. Ion Chromatography (IC) analysis of the fuel cell effluent water revealed increased fluorine emission due to the presence of SO2. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of MEA cross sections confirmed a drastic decrease in membrane thickness after exposure to SO2. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of catalyst sections showed no distinct impact on platinum agglomeration due to SO2 exposure but did confirm an increase in platinum agglomeration due to the application of a cyclic voltammetry recovery method.
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