Non-Platinum Catalysts In Cathode Electrode For Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Abstract:
Two kinds of non-platinum metal catalysts, 40 wt.% Ag/C which prepared by the impregnation method and commercial nano-silver powder were used as the cathode catalysts in alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). In the surface measurement and elemental composition analysis of the prepared 40 wt.% Ag/C catalyst, XRD revealed that the silver nanoparticles were successfully produced and attached onto the carbon black supporter. In addition, the SEM analysis showed the silver nanoparticle size catalyst was about 10 – 20 nm in the synthesized Ag/C. For AEMFC performance tests, three kinds of membrane electrode assemblies based on synthesized Ag/C, commercial nano-silver, and commercial 40 wt.% Pt/C used as cathode catalysts were made. The results showed that the maximum power density of the AEMFC using Ag/C, commercial nano-silver powder, and Pt/C as cathode catalysts was 200 mWcm-2 at 0.4 V, 105 mWcm-2 at 0.3 V, and 207 mWcm-2 at 0.5 V, which indicated that the performance of tested AEMFC with Ag/C and commercial nano-silver powder catalysts was 3.5% and 49.3% less than that of AEMFC with Pt/C, respectively. The study successfully implemented using non-Pt catalyst for the cathode electrode in AEMFC application.