Waseem, Sadiya and Maheshwari, Priyanka H. and Abinaya, Sankaran and Sahu, Akhila K. and Saini, Amit and Dhakate, Sanjay R. (2019) Effect of matrix content on the performance of carbon paper as an electrode for PEMFC. International Journal of Energy Research, 43 (SI 7). pp. 2897-2909. ISSN 0363-907X

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Abstract

Porous conducting carbon fiber-based composite paper is used as an electrode backing in the fuel cell assembly. It not only acts as a channel through which the reactant and product gases pass to and from the bipolar plate and the catalyst site but also helps in the flow of electrons. In order to perform its role efficiently, it should have sufficient strength, high electrical conductivity, and ideal porous structure. Carbon paper has been fabricated, which builds up the required composite properties. Studies have been conducted to optimize the fiber/matrix ratio in the carbon paper, while ensuring the perfect combination of porosity, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity for an electrode in a proton electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Detail physico-mechanical and electrochemical characterizations further ascertain that the fiber/matrix ratio plays an important role in tuning the composite properties. The polarization curve of the unit proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (with an effective electrode area 4 cm(2)) shows a peak power density of 916 mW/cm(2) for the sample with fiber/matrix ratio of 65:35, which is almost the same as the commercially available sigracet gas diffusion layer (SGL) carbon paper tested under similar conditions. Further, proportionally enlarging the electrode area to 100 cm(2) shows that the carbon paper not only shows almost repeatable results in a given set up but also scales up.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright for this article belongs to M/s Wiley.
Subjects:	Energy Fuels Nuclear Science Technology
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User:	Mr. Yogesh Joshi
Date Deposited:	02 Mar 2020 11:32
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2020 11:32
URI:	http://npl.csircentral.net/id/eprint/4166

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