Final Report - Membranes and MEA's for Dry, Hot Operating Conditions

Hamrock, Steven J

关键词: ADDITIVES;    AUTOMOTIVE FUELS;    CATALYSTS;    COMMERCIALIZATION;    DIFFUSION;    ELECTRODES;    ELECTROLYTES;    FUEL CELLS;    HYDROGEN;    MEMBRANES;    PERFORMANCE;    POLYMERS;    PROTON CONDUCTIVITY;    PROTON TRANSPORT;    PROTONS;    STABILITY;    TARGETS;    TESTING;    VERIFICATION Membrane Electrode Assemblies;    Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid;    Durability;    Performance;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1018055
RP-ID  :  DOE/GO/17006-1
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1018055
Others  :  TRN: US201120%%349

学科分类：再生能源与代替技术

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The focus of this program was to develop a new Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) which can operate under hotter, dryer conditions than the state of the art membranes today and integrate it into a Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA). These MEA's should meet the performance and durability requirements outlined in the solicitation, operating under low humidification conditions and at temperatures ranging from -20??C to 120??C, to meet 2010 DOE technical targets for membranes. This membrane should operate under low humidification conditions and at temperatures ranging from -20??C to 120??C in order to meet DOE HFCIT 2010 commercialization targets for automotive fuel cells. Membranes developed in this program may also have improved durability and performance characteristics making them useful in stationary fuel cell applications. The new membranes, and the MEA's comprising them, should be manufacturable at high volumes and at costs which can meet industry and DOE targets. This work included: A) Studies to better understand factors controlling proton transport within the electrolyte membrane, mechanisms of polymer degradation (in situ and ex situ) and membrane durability in an MEA; B) Development of new polymers with increased proton conductivity over the range of temperatures from -20??C to 120??C and at lower levels of humidification and with improved chemical and mechanical stability; C) Development of new membrane additives for increased durability and conductivity under these dry conditions; D) Integration of these new materials into membranes and membranes into MEA's, including catalyst and gas diffusion layer selection and integration; E) Verification that these materials can be made using processes which are scalable to commercial volumes using cost effective methods; F) MEA testing in single cells using realistic automotive testing protocols. This project addresses technical barriers A (Durability) and C (Performance) from the Fuel Cells section of the 2005 Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program Multi-Year R&D Plan. In the course of this four-year program we developed a new PEM with improved proton conductivity, chemical stability and mechanical stability. We incorporated this new membrane into MEAs and evaluated performance and durability.