Configuring the Porosity and Microstructure of Carbon Paper Electrode Using Pore Formers and Its Influence on the Performance of PEMFC

Carbon papers (CPs) are used as an electrode backing in PEMFC. It assists the diffusion of both the reactant gases and products toward and from the reaction site and aids the flow of electrons. CP is a carbon/carbon composite made by patterning of carbon fibers in the form of highly porous sheets called preforms, followed by composite formation. Different pore formers have been incorporated into the CP, and their effect on porosity, permeability, structure, and electrical conductivity have been analyzed and found to be significant. The unit PEMFC shows a peak output power density of 797.2 and 756.8 mW/cm(2) with camphor and urea as pore formers, compared to 576.2 mW/cm(2) obtained using the paper prepared without pore former. The effect of pore formers on the separate sections of the polarization curves has been discussed. Further, samples with urea and camphor show comparable performance with the commercial SGL paper.