Measurement of protonic resistance of catalyst layers as a tool for degradation monitoring

Then, results of the degradation of a MEA subjected to four different accelerated stress tests are presented. They consist of (i) a constant current operation, (ii) 1.2 V potential hold with nitrogen and hydrogen (iii) open circuit voltage (OCV) hold with air and hydrogen, and (iv) a start-up protocol where heterogeneous degradations are observed using a linear segmented fuel cell. This technique can provide useful information about the evolution of catalyst layer microstructure during AST.