Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells

Determining the optimal catalyst ink formula for manufacturing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is important to optimizing their performance. The proper catalyst inks maintain the optimal balance of mass and ion transport in the catalyst layers. Catal...

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Main Authors: Korawat Wuttikid, Nat Worayos, Konlayut Punyawudho
Format: Journal
Published: 2018
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http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/43590
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Institution: Chiang Mai University
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spelling th-cmuir.6653943832-435902018-04-25T07:37:29Z Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells Korawat Wuttikid Nat Worayos Konlayut Punyawudho Agricultural and Biological Sciences Arts and Humanities Determining the optimal catalyst ink formula for manufacturing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is important to optimizing their performance. The proper catalyst inks maintain the optimal balance of mass and ion transport in the catalyst layers. Catalyst inks are composed mainly of a carrier, Nafion solution, and a Pt/C catalyst. We investigated the optimal catalyst ink formula by varying these components during fabrication of MEAs by 20-kHz ultrasonic spraying. Various carriers (isopropyl alcohol (IPA), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and ethanol) and Nafion concentrations were investigated when using Pt/C 20% catalyst with a constant Pt loading of 0.3 mg/cm 2 . The catalyst layers of the fabricated MEAs were analyzed using both in-plane and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The thickness of the catalyst layer depended on the type of carrier, with IPA, THF, and ethanol yielding thicknesses of 28, 22, and 18 μm, respectively. Polarization curves were used to determine the fuel cell performance. MEAs fabricated with ethanol preformed better than with IPA or THF; yielding a current density of 697.02 mA/cm 2 at a cell potential of 0.6 V. The optimal Nafion concentration was 20, 25, and 30 wt% for ethanol, IPA, and THF, respectively. 2018-01-24T03:50:29Z 2018-01-24T03:50:29Z 2017-10-01 Journal 16851994 2-s2.0-85030997234 10.12982/CMUJNS.2017.0022 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85030997234&origin=inward http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/43590
institution Chiang Mai University
building Chiang Mai University Library
country Thailand
collection CMU Intellectual Repository
topic Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Arts and Humanities
spellingShingle Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Arts and Humanities
Korawat Wuttikid
Nat Worayos
Konlayut Punyawudho
Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells
description Determining the optimal catalyst ink formula for manufacturing membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells is important to optimizing their performance. The proper catalyst inks maintain the optimal balance of mass and ion transport in the catalyst layers. Catalyst inks are composed mainly of a carrier, Nafion solution, and a Pt/C catalyst. We investigated the optimal catalyst ink formula by varying these components during fabrication of MEAs by 20-kHz ultrasonic spraying. Various carriers (isopropyl alcohol (IPA), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and ethanol) and Nafion concentrations were investigated when using Pt/C 20% catalyst with a constant Pt loading of 0.3 mg/cm 2 . The catalyst layers of the fabricated MEAs were analyzed using both in-plane and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The thickness of the catalyst layer depended on the type of carrier, with IPA, THF, and ethanol yielding thicknesses of 28, 22, and 18 μm, respectively. Polarization curves were used to determine the fuel cell performance. MEAs fabricated with ethanol preformed better than with IPA or THF; yielding a current density of 697.02 mA/cm 2 at a cell potential of 0.6 V. The optimal Nafion concentration was 20, 25, and 30 wt% for ethanol, IPA, and THF, respectively.
format Journal
author Korawat Wuttikid
Nat Worayos
Konlayut Punyawudho
author_facet Korawat Wuttikid
Nat Worayos
Konlayut Punyawudho
author_sort Korawat Wuttikid
title Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells
title_short Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells
title_full Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells
title_fullStr Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in PEM fuel cells
title_sort analysis of catalyst ink compositions for fabricating membrane electrode assemblies in pem fuel cells
publishDate 2018
url https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85030997234&origin=inward
http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/43590
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