Investigation of Different Carbon Materials with Different Coating Methods as Micro Porous Layer for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Yu-Hsu Liu; Ting-Chu Jao; Wei-Jen Tzeng; Guo-Bin Jung; Shih-Yuan Sun; Cheng-Tang Wang

doi:10.6000/1929-6002.2013.02.01.4

Authors

Yu-Hsu Liu Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Ting-Chu Jao Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Wei-Jen Tzeng Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Guo-Bin Jung Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Shih-Yuan Sun Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Cheng-Tang Wang Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Fuel Cell Center, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6002.2013.02.01.4

Keywords:

Micro porous layer (MPL), proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), gas diffusion layer (GDL), spray coating, doctor bladed coating

Abstract

In this work, two types of carbon - Vulcan XC-72R, and vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF, 7μm in length and 100 nm in diameter) were investigated as materials composing a micro porous layer (MPL). These carbon materials were either sprayed or doctor bladed on commercial carbon paper (GDS 340, CeTech Co., Ltd., Taiwan) to form an MPL with various carbon loadings and various polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE) contain ratio. All of the home-made GDLs were assembly with commercial catalyst coated membranes (CCMs, General Optics Corp., Taiwan) for fuel cell performance test. All of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) samples were investigated by the polarization curve and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS).

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