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FCH JU Grant Agreement no.: 245113

Project acronym: KEEPEMALIVE

Project title: Knowledge to Enhance the Endurance of PEM fuel cells

by Accelerated Lifetime Verification Experiments

Funding scheme: Collaborative Project

Area: SP1-JTI-FCH.3 Stationary Power Generation & CHP

Start date of project: 01.01.2010

Duration:

Project Coordinator:

36 months

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN (NL)

Report on

Reference materials in adequate quantity

(Part of D 4.1)

Author (partner): Laila Grahl-Madsen (IRD)

Other authors: Tomas Klicpera (Fuma-Tech)

Workpackage: WP4, Preparation and improvement of MEAs and components

Workpackage leader

(partner):

Tomas Klicpera (Fuma-Tech)

Date released by WP leader:

Date released by Coordinator:

04.02.2011

04.02.2011

Dissemination level

PU Public

PP Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services)

RE Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services)

CO Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services) X

Revisions Version: Date: Changed by: Comments:

1.00 04 Feb. 2011 Laila Grahl-Madsen First draft

01 February 2011, vers. 1.00 2 of 12

TABLE OF CONTENT

TABLE OF CONTENT

MEA Precursors ......................................................................................................................... 3

Benchmark MEAs .................................................................................................................. 3

MEAs based on improved Precursors .................................................................................... 4

Annex 1: Benchmark Cathode catalyst Specification ................................................................ 5

Annex 2: Benchmark Anode catalyst Specification .................................................................. 6

Annex 3: Benchmark catalyst Support Specification ................................................................ 7

Annex 4: Benchmark GDL Specification .................................................................................. 9

Annex 5: Benchmark Membrane Specification ....................................................................... 11

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MEA PRECURSORS

BENCHMARK MEAS

This document summarises the precursor materials used in the preparation of the first 104 5-layer

benchmark MEA1s (Table 1) prepared and tested within the KeePEMAlive project. The electrodes

of these MEAs are prepared by IRD using an ultrasonic spray-coating technique either directly onto

the membrane2 as in the MEA batch from Jun/Jul-10 (Table 1) or onto the GDL

3 as for the provided

MEAs in Nov-10. The MEA precursors used for the benchmark MEAs are listed in Table 2.

The first batch of benchmark MEAs show an initial acceptable performance, but an un-acceptable

durability as membrane failure was developed rather quickly. The reason was partly due to the

applied lamination procedure, which was optimised for Nafion and not FumaPEM membranes.

Much better durability was obtained by all Partners in the second MEA batch provided.

Table 1 Summary of manufactured benchmark MEAs 2010.

Partner

Active Electrode

dimension

[cm x cm]

Membrane Dimension

[cm x cm]

Qty of

MEAs

Jun/Jul-10

Qty of

MEAs

Nov-10

Total Qty

of MEAs

2010

IRD 1.7 x 1.7 2.5 x 2.5 0 0 0

2.55 x 2.55 3.5 x 3.5 8 8 16

ECN ø = 3.1 7.0 x 7.0 3 8 11

7.1 x 7.1 12.7 x 12.7 2 6 8

Fumatech 5.0 x 5.0 7.0 x 7.0 2 0 2

7.1 x 7.1 10.0 x 10.0 0 0 0

SINTEF 5.0 x 5.0 8.0 x 8.0 2 3 5

2.3 x 2.3 4.3 x 4.3 5 5

Graz 12.0 x 2.2 13.5 x 3.5 3 8 11

Eifer 5.0 x 5.0 7.0 x 7.0 2 10 12

JRC 5.0 x 5.0 7.5 x 7.5 0 3 3

2.3 x 2.3 5.0 x 5.0 0 3 3

CNRS 1.7 x 1.7 3.7 x 3.7 10 10

2.55 x 2.55 4.6 x 4.6 8 10 18

Total number of MEAs 30 74 104

Total electrode area (cm2) 456 1,618 2,074

Total membrane area (cm2) 1,203 4,428 5,631

1 MEA: Membrane Electrode Assembly

2 CCM: Catalyst Coated Membrane

3 GDL: Gas Diffusion Layer

CCB: Catalyst Coated Backing equivalent to GDE: Gas Diffusion Electrodes

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Table 2 The MEA precursors and catalyst loadings for the 5-layer benchmark MEAs.

Description Product ID Catalyst loading Data sheet Comments

Anode GDL Sigracet 35DC Annex 4 The DC grade refers to a

PTFE4 content of 20%

Anode Catalyst 62RKR4 0.3 mg PtRu/cm2 Annex 2 & 3

Membrane Fumapem F-940 Annex 5

Cathode Catalyst 65KR2 0.5 mg Pt/cm2 Annex 1 & 3

Cathode GDL Sigracet 35DC Annex 4 Do Anode GDL

MEAS BASED ON IMPROVED PRECURSORS

Experimental MEAs based on a reinforced FumaPEM membrane (Annex 6) has been tested with

promising results for almost 400 hours by IRD (Fig. 1). The results are so encouraging that the

following MEA batches will be based on this membrane.

0

250

500

750

1,000

0 100 200 300 400

Hours @ c.0.35 A/cm2

Ave

rage

ce

ll vo

ltag

e [

mV

]

IRD Pem MEA 6.00 based on Nafion 212 membrane (n=10); DV = -55 µV/h

W44A based on reinforced FumaPEM membrane/CCB (n=2); DV = -30 µV/h

Fig. 1

Longer-time performance

of the new KeePEMAlive

MEA equipped with

reinforced FumaPEM

membrane compared to

the IRD state-of-the-art

MEA based on Nafion

membrane.

4 PTFE: PolyTetraFluoroEthylene also known as Teflon

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ANNEX 1: BENCHMARK CATHODE CATALYST SPECIFICATION

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ANNEX 2: BENCHMARK ANODE CATALYST SPECIFICATION

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ANNEX 3: BENCHMARK CATALYST SUPPORT SPECIFICATION

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ANNEX 4: BENCHMARK GDL SPECIFICATION

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ANNEX 5: BENCHMARK MEMBRANE SPECIFICATION

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