HIGH UTILIZATION CARBON SUPPORTED PLATINUM ELECTROCATALYST FOR SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS (PE-136)

SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS (SPEFCS) ARE ATTRACTIVEFOR NUMEROUS GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS, PARTICULARLY FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS. A MAJOR DRAWBACK OF THE SPEFC IS THE HIGH COST OF THE UNSUPPORTED PLATINUM ELECTROCATALYST USED AT BOTH THE ANODE AND THE CATHODE. STATE-OF-THE-ART SPEFC CONTAIN APPROXIMATELY 4 MG PT/CM(2) AT EACH ELECTRODE AND THE UTILIZATION IS LOW. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP CARBON SUPPORTED, HIGH UTILIZATION ELECTROCATALYST FOR SPEFC APPLICATION. THE RESEARCHERS ANTICIPATE THE NOVEL APPROACH WILL REDUCE THE PLATINUM LOADINGS BY 20 TO 40 TIMES RELATIVE TO CURRENT TECHNOLOGY.