• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.256-263
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• 2012

We studied the degradation phenomenon of Pt catalyst in PEMFC. We used the electron microscope analysis technique including the ultra-microtome pretreatment method, FEG-SEM and TEM analysis methods for analysis of Pt nanoparticles. The Pt catalyst degradation is observed not only in electrode site but also in membrane site. We investigated these various degradation phenomena. The cathode electrode layer thickness is reduced. The size of the catalyst is increased much larger than initial size in membrane site. The catalyst moved from electrode layer to the electrolyte membrane. The rounded shape of catalyst was changed to the polygon. As a result, we found that the catalyst degradation processes of migration and coarsening occurred by the followings mechanisms; (1) dissolution of Pt ; (2) diffusion of Pt ion ; (3) Pt ion chemical reduction in membrane; (4) Coarsening of Pt particles (Ostwald ripening) ; (5) polygon shape change of Pt by {111} plane growth.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.345-351
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• 2024

The unitized regenerative fuel cell (URFC) is a method that can reduce costs and increase system simplification by unitizing a fuel cell system and a water electrolysis system. The spray method is suitable as the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) manufacturing method for URFC because it is easy to control the amount of catalyst, the size of the system is small, and economical manufacturing is possible. In this study, a numerical analysis of the effect of solution concentration on the spray method was performed to use it as basic data for the spray method to be used in MEA manufacturing. As result, as the Nafion solution concentration decreases it was found that the spray speed and the mass flow rate and the discrete phase model concentration increases and the spray range widens.