Influence of hydrogen contamination by mercury on the lifetime of the PEM-type fuel cell

0357028 - ÚACH 2011 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Bouzek, K. - Paidar, M. - Mališ, J. - Jakubec, Ivo - Janík, L.
Influence of hydrogen contamination by mercury on the lifetime of the PEM-type fuel cell.
Electrochimica acta. Roč. 56, č. 2 (2010), s. 889-895. ISSN 0013-4686. E-ISSN 1873-3859
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40320502
Keywords : fuel cell * power output * hydrogen contamination
Subject RIV: CG - Electrochemistry
Impact factor: 3.642, year: 2010

The subject of this study is the influence of traces of mercury present in the hydrogen originating e.g. from the amalgam technology of brine electrolysis on the lifetime of PEM-type fuel cell. Accelerated tests were used in order to record deterioration of laboratory fuel cells' performance. The power output decrease observed was only partly reversible. As was proven by XPS spectroscopy, the cell performance deterioration originates from the interaction between mercury and the platinum catalyst. The lifetime of the fuel cell was assessed on the basis of the experiments performed as 7000 h for an average mercury concentration in the hydrogen of 10 mu g N m(-3). This is a sufficient value to permit utilization of the hydrogen from this source as a fuel for the fuel cell. It should be kept in the mind, however, that this value was obtained on the basis of the accelerated durability tests.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0195400