Corrosion of Carbon Supports, Induced by High-Temperature PEMFC Operating Conditions

Abstract

In high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFC) one of the detrimental factors that lead to loss of performance is the corrosion of the electrocatalyst support. In both anode and cathode, platinum (Pt) supported on carbon is generally the selected electrocatalyst. Platinum significantly increases the speed of the anode and cathode reactions, but also causes carbon oxidation (corrosion of the support) and the consequent degradation of the electrode materials. In a HT-PEMFC, corrosion is influenced by temperature. For this reason, this paper will present a detailed evaluation of the carbon support degradation under HT-PEMFC conditions. The carbon oxidation of two types of carbon supports will be compared.