• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.15-20
• /
• 2012

In this paper, we carried out separation of membrane and leaching of Pt and Ru using hydrochloric acid from MEA(membrane-electrode assembly) of fuel cell. In this method, these were separated from MEA of fuel cell using the distilled water, 10 vol.% butanol solution and 15 vol.% cationic surfactant(Koremul-LN-7) by dipping method without the dispersion of catalyst particles. And the leaching of Pt and Ru containing in the separated carbon paper catalysts has been studied by hydrochloric acid using $HNO_3$ or $H_2O_2$ as a oxidant. The leaching ratio of Pt and Ru were higher when $H_2O_2$ was used as a oxidant and the optimum conditions were obtained in 8M HCl, the amount of $H_2O_2$ 5M and 6 hours of leaching time at $90^{\circ}C$. In this condition, extraction of Pt and Ru were 98% and 71.5%, respectively.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.57 no.4
• /
• pp.512-518
• /
• 2019

To develop a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with lower Pt loading and higher performance in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), it is an important research issue to understand interfacial structure of Pt/C catalyst and ionomer and design the catalyst layer structure. In this study, we prepared short-side-chain Nafion-based ionomer dispersion using propylene glycol (PG) as a solvent instead of water which is commonly used as a solvent for commercially available ionomers. Cathode catalyst layers with different ionomer content from 20 to 35 wt% were prepared using the ionomer dispersion for the fabrication of four different MEAs, and their fuel cell performance was evaluated. As the ionomer content increased to 35 wt%, the performance of the prepared MEAs increased proportionally, unlike the commercially available water-based ionomer, which exhibited an optimum at about 25 wt%. Small size micelles and slow evaporation of PG in the ionomer dispersion were effective in proton transfer by inducing the formation of a uniformly structured catalyst layer, but the low oxygen permeability problem of the PG-based ionomer film should be resolved to improve the MEA performance.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.305-309
• /
• 2016

Recently, there are many efforts focused on development of more economical non-fluorinated membranes for PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). In this study, to test the durability of sPEEK MEA (Membrane and Electrode Assembly), ADT (Accelerated Degradation Test) of MEA degradation was done at the condition that membrane and electrode were degraded simultaneously. Before and after degradation, I-V polarization curve, hydrogen crossover, electrochemical surface area, membrane resistance and charge transfer resistance were measured. Although the permeability of hydrogen through sPEEK membrane was low, sPEEK membrane was weaker to radical evolved at low humidity and OCV condition than fluorinated membrane such as Nafion. Performance after MEA degradation for 144 hours and 271 hours were reduced by 15% and 65%, respectively. It was showed that the main cause of rapid decrease of performance after 144 hours was shorting due to Pt/C particles in the pinholes.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2010.06a
• /
• pp.125.1-125.1
• /
• 2010

A high efficiency polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack was developed for pressurized pure hydrogen and oxygen supplying conditions. The design objective for the cell stack was to maximize the electric efficiency and to minimize exhaust-gas emissions from it simultaneously. To achieve this objective, the cell stack was designed to use pure hydrogen and oxygen as fuel and oxidant, respectively, and to be operated under high gas inlet pressures and in a stage-wise dead-end operation mode. Major components constituting the cell stack, such as membrane electrode assembly, bipolar-plate, and gasket, have been developed to meet a target durability even in severe operating conditions: high gas inlet pressures and usage of pure oxygen. A high-power fuel cell stack was assembled using these components to verify the performance. The cell stack showed a good performance in terms of the efficiency and maximum power output.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.303-307
• /
• 2008

The studies on integrated operation of fuel cell with fuel processor are very essential prior to its commercialization. In this study, Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) was operated with a fuel processor, which is mainly composed of two parts, methanol steam reforming reaction and preferential oxidation (PROX). In fuel processor, ICI 33-5 (CuO 50%, ZnO 33%, $Al_2O_3$ 8%, BET surface area: $66\;m^2g^{-1}$) catalyst and CuO-$CeO_2$ catalyst were used for methanol steam reforming, preferential oxidation (PROX) respectively. PEMFC was operated by hydrogen fuel generated from fuel processor. The resulting gas from PROX reactor is used to operate PEMFC equipped with our prepared anode and cathode catalyst. PtRu/C catalyst gives more tolerance to CO.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.335-340
• /
• 2016

Hydrogen production through proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is expeditiously receiving international attention for renewable energy sources as well as energy storage system applications due to its environmentally friendly uses. A series of $Ir_{0.2}Ru_{0.8}O_2$ $Ir_{0.5}Ru_{0.8}O_2$ & $IrO_2$ catalysts were synthesized and electrochemically evaluated by using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) technique. Furthermore, the PEMWE performances of full cells were evaluated by recording I-V Curves. The developed PEMWE stack was also operated in combination with a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) to demonstrate the discrete regenerative fuel cell (DRFC) performances. Produced hydrogen and oxygen from PEMWE were used as a fuel to operate PEMFC to establish a DRFC system.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.54 no.5
• /
• pp.593-597
• /
• 2016

The effects of relative humidity, current density and temperature on the ionic conductivity were studied in PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell). Water contents and water flux in the electrolyte membrane largely affected ion conductivity. The water flux was modelled and simulated by only electro-osmotic drag and back-diffusion of water. Ion conductivities were measured at membrane state out of cell and measured at MEA (Membrane and Electrode Assembly) state in condition of operation. The water contents in membrane increase as relative humidity increased in PEMFC, as a results of which ion conductivity increased. Current enhanced electro-osmotic drag and back diffusion and then water contents linearly increased. Enhancement of current density results in ion conductivity. Ion conductivity of about 40% increased as the temperature increased from $50^{\circ}C$ to $80^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.54 no.2
• /
• pp.181-186
• /
• 2016

Recently, there are many efforts focused on development of more economical non-fluorinated membranes for use in PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). In this study, characteristics of sulfonated Poly(ether ether ketone) (sPEEK) were compared according to degrees of sulfonation (DS), relative humidity, cell temperatures at PEMFC operation condition. I-V polarization curve, hydrogen crossover, electrochemical surface area, membrane resistance and charge transfer resistance were measured. sPEEK membrane showed high performance at high DS, high temperature and high relative humidity, in particular, performance of sPEEK membrane decreased largely due to low ionic conductivity at low DS and low relative humidity.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.540-546
• /
• 2010

In this manuscript, in order to reduce methanol permeability and, at the same time, to increase proton conductivity THS-PSA containing silica compound, responsible for methanol permeability reduction, and sulfonic acid, responsible for proton conductivity enhancement, was applied onto PVA/PSSA-MA membranes. And in order to improve durability, the resulting membranes, PVA/PSSAMA/THS-PSA, were exposed to 500ppm F2 gas at varying reaction times. The surface-fluorinated membranes were characterized through the measurement of contact angles, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to observe the physico-chemical changes. For the evaluation of the electro-chemical changes in the resulting membranes, its water contents, ion exchange capacity, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability were measured and then compared with the commercial membrane, Nafion 115. Finally, the membran electrode assembly(MEA) was prepared and the cell voltage against the current density was measured. As fluorination time increased, the contents of F2 increased up to maximum 4.3% and to depth of 50 nm. At 60 min of fluorination, the proton conductivity was 0.036 S/cm, larger than Nafion 115 at 0.024 S/cm, and the methanol permeability was $9.26E-08cm^2/s$, less than Nafion 115 at $1.17E-06cm^2/s$.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.148-154
• /
• 2009

With respect to the durability of large scale ($150cm^2$) membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), degradation phenomena at cathode is monitored and analyzed according to the position on the cathode surface. After constant current mode operation of large scale MEA for 500 hr, the MEA is divided into three parts along the cathode channel; (close to) inlet, middle, and (close to) outlet. The performance of each MEA is tested and it is revealed that the MEA from the cathode outlet of large MEA shows the worst performance. This is due to the catalyst degradation and GDL delamination caused by flooding at cathode outlet of large MEA during the 500 hr operation. Particularly on the catalyst degradation, the loss of electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of catalyst gets worse along the cathode channel from inlet to outlet, of which the reason is believed to be loss of catalysts by dissolution and migration rather than their agglomeration. The extent of loss in the performance and catalyst degradation has strong relation to the cathode flooding and it is required to develop proper water management techniques and separator channel design to control the flooding.