Study on hydrophobicity degradation of gas diffusion layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

• The hydrophobicity degradation mechanism of GDL was proposed thoroughly.
• CO and CO groups appeared on the surfaces of GDL after immersion.
• The relative content of PTFE in GDL decreased after immersion.
• The surfaces and inner structure of GDL destroyed after immersion.

As one of the essential components of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), gas diffusion layer (GDL) is of importance on water management, as well on the performance and durability of PEMFC. In this paper, the hydrophobicity degradation of GDL was investigated by immersing it in the 1.0 mol L−1 H2SO4 solution saturated by air for 1200 h. From the measurements of contact angle and water permeability, the hydrophobic characteristics of the pristine and immersed GDLs were compared. To investigate the causes for hydrophobicity degradation, the GDLs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. Further, the chemical compositions of H2SO4 solutions before and after immersion test were analyzed with infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that the hydrophobicity of immersed GDL decreased distinctly, which was caused by the damage of physical structure and surface characteristics. Moreover, the immersed GDL showed a worse fuel cell performance than the pristine GDL, especially under a low humidity condition.