Performance of a 1kW class nafion-PTFE composite membrane fuel cell stack

Composite membranes have been prepared by impregnation of Nafion into the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (EPTFE) matrix. Nafion loading in the composite membranes was kept constant at 2mg/cm2. The lower amount of electrolyte per unit area in the composite membranes offers cost advantages compared to conventional membrane of 50 m thickness with an electrolyte loading of 9mg/cm2. Composite membranes (30 m thickness) were found to have higher thermal stability and mechanical strength compared to the conventional membranes (50 m thickness). The performance of the membrane electrode assembly made with these composite membranes was comparable to that of the conventional membranes. Single cells fabricated from these MEAs were tested for their performance and durability before scaling them up for large area. The performance of a 20-cell stack of active area 330cm2 fabricated using these membranes is reported. Copyright © 2012 Pattabiraman Krishnamurthy et al.