Effect of catalyst layer with zeolite on the performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell operated under low-humidity conditions

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) employ a proton conductive membrane as the separator to transport a hydrogen proton from the anode to the cathode. The membrane's proton conductivity depends on the water content in the membrane, which is affected by the operating conditions. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) that can self sustain water is the key component for developing a light-weight and compact PEMFC system without humidifiers. Hence, zeolite is employed to the anode catalyst layer in this study. The effect of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) materials, catalyst loading, binder loading, and zeolite loading on the MEA performance is investigated. The MEA durability is also investigated through the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method. The results suggest that the MEA with the SGL28BCE carbon paper, Pt loadings of 0.1 and 0.7 mg cm(-2) in the anode and cathode, respectively, Nafion-to-carbon weight ratio of 0.5, and zeolite-to-carbon weight ratio of 0.3 showed the best performance when the cell temperature is 60 degrees C and supplies with dry hydrogen and air from the environment. According to the impedance variation measured by EIS, the MEA with zeolite in the anode catalyst layer shows higher and more stable performance than those without zeolite. (C) 2021 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells utilize a proton conductive membrane to transport hydrogen protons, with the membrane's conductivity affected by water content. This study investigates the use of zeolite in the anode catalyst layer and explores the impact of various factors on the performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Results show that MEA with specific configurations exhibit optimal performance under certain operating conditions.