Durability of ABPBI-based MEAs for high temperature PEMFCs at different operating conditions

High temperature PEMFCs based on phosphoric acid-doped ABPBI membranes have been prepared and characterised. At 160 degrees C and ambient pressure fuel cell power densities of 300 mW cm(-2) (with hydrogen and air as reactants) and 180 mW cm(-2) (with simulated diesel reformate/air) have been achieved. The durability of these membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in the hydrogen/air mode of operation at different working conditions has been measured electrochemically and has been correlated to the cell resistivity, the phosphoric acid loss rate and the catalyst particle size. Under stationary conditions, a voltage loss of only -25 mu V h(-1) at a current density of 200 mA cm(-2) has been deduced from a 1,000 h test. Under dynamic load changes or during start-stop cycling the degradation rate was significantly higher. Leaching of phosphoric acid from the cell was found to be very small and is not the main reason for the performance loss. Instead an important increase in the catalyst particle size was observed to occur during two long-term experiments. At high gas flows of hydrogen and air ABPBI-based MEAs can be operated at temperatures below 100 degrees C for several hours without a significant irreversible loss of cell performance and with only very little acid leaching.