Performance degradation studies on an poly 2,5-benzimidazole high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell using an accelerated degradation technique

In this work, the performance degradation of a poly 2,5-benzimidazole (ABPBI) based high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) was examined using an accelerated degradation technique (ADT). Experiments using an ADT with 30 min intervals were performed by applying 1.5 V to a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with hydrogen and nitrogen feeding to the anode and cathode, respectively, to simulate the high voltage generated during fuel cell shutdown and restart. The characterization of the MEAs was performed using in-situ and ex-situ electrochemical methods, such as polarization curves, AC impedance, and cyclic voltammetry (CV), and TEM imaging before and after the ADT experiments. The measured results demonstrated that the ADT testing could be used to dramatically reduce the duration of the degradation. The current output at 0.4 V decreased by 48% after performing ADT testing for 30 min. From the AC impedance, CV and RTGA measurements, the decline in cell performance was found to be primarily due to corrosion and thinning of the catalyst layer (or carbon support) during the first 30 min, leading to the dissolution and agglomeration of the platinum catalyst.