CuMnOx catalysts for internal reforming methanol fuel cells: Application aspects

The Internal Reforming Methanol Fuel Cell (IRMFC) incorporates a methanol reforming catalyst into the anodic compartment of a high temperature, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). The present work examines application aspects of the cell, including the operation temperature, the type of catalyst pretreatment, the effect of phosphoric acid leaching and the time-on-stream behavior of CuMnOx catalysts. Combustion-synthesized structured catalysts can efficiently operate at 200 degrees C with a 30% decline in MeOH conversion after 350 h on methanol/water stream in the presence of the high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane electrode assembly. Differences observed in the catalytic activity of oxidized versus prereduced samples with respect to phosphoric acid poisoning are negligible after long operation time. Copyright (C) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.