polyDURAMEA - Polyaniline modified catalyst for durable polymer electrolyte fuel cell membrane electrode assembly

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) has established itself internationally as a highly efficient and low-emission energy converter for providing green energy from renewable hydrogen and is in the process of scaling up. Two major challenges on the way to the worldwide use of PEMFC for truck, bus, train, ship and air transport but also for stationary applications are the lifetime and the costs of the materials used. These are determined by the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the heart of the fuel cell. To overcome the techno-economic barriers for the market introduction of these clean and efficient energy converters, the focus of this project is to reduce the platinum content of the MEA while achieving a performance of >1 W/cm² (@ >0.65V) and a lifetime of >24,000 hours. Carbon corrosion and platinum agglomeration are the two dominant degradation mechanisms in the electrode of the PEMFC. The Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology (CEET) at TU Graz has developed and patented an innovative polyaniline-based catalyst system, which has been shown to increase the lifetime of the entire electrode while reducing the platinum content and simultaneously increasing the corrosion resistance of the carbon catalyst support. The goal of the fellowship project is to develop a scalable manufacturing process for the MEA with the patented PANI catalyst system into a market-ready prototype that can be manufactured in an industrial environment and serve as the basis for the planned company formation.
StatusActive
Effective start/end date1/04/2330/09/24

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