Volume 49

Investigation of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Performances by Optimization of the Hot-pressing Process for Membrane Electrode Assembly Fabrication Mingyu Lou, Rui Lin

Abstract

The efficiency of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is influenced by both the components of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and the fabrication process of the MEA, which in turn impacts the characteristics and structure of the electrode. This study examines the impact of hot-pressing temperatures on the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and catalyst-coated membrane (CCM). Proper hot-pressing is essential for optimizing performance. The ideal hot-pressing temperature identified is 100 ℃, resulting in a maximum power density of 1.228 W/cm² for the MEA, representing a 4.9% improvement compared to MEAs without hot-pressing. While hot-pressing does increase the ohmic resistance of the MEA across all humidity levels, appropriate hot-pressing temperatures can notably enhance the electrochemical surface area (ECSA) by 16.3% and reduce charge transfer resistance. Additionally, mass transfer resistance can be minimized, potentially due to the narrowing of the interface gap between the catalyst layer (CL) and GDL. These findings offer valuable insights for MEA fabrication processes and can serve as a valuable resource for practical applications.

Keywords MEA fabrication, hot-pressing, CCM, Interface, PEMFC