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Gold‐plated Ni mesh as the gas diffusion medium for air‐breathing direct methanol fuel cell
Author(s) -
Liu Peng,
Yin GePing,
Lai QinZhi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.1463
Subject(s) - cathode , microporous material , diffusion , direct methanol fuel cell , materials science , gaseous diffusion , methanol , chemical engineering , current collector , diffusion layer , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , composite material , layer (electronics) , fuel cells , electrode , chromatography , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , anode , engineering , physics , electrolyte
A novel cathode configuration that promotes the mass transports through the cathode of air‐breathing direct methanol fuel cell is reported in this paper. This cathode, free of the support by conventional wet‐proof carbon fiber backing, adopts a gold‐plated Ni mesh as the air passages and the current collector. The cathode microporous layer , which plays the role of air diffusion and water management, is applied on the catalyst‐coated membrane through the decal method. The mesh is combined with the MPL by hot‐pressing procedure to form the cathode diffusion medium. The remarkable improvement of two‐phase diffusions at cathode results in an increment in maximum power density of the single cell from 11.0 to 15.5 mW cm −2 at 293 K. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.