1. A chemical-mechanical ex-situ aging of perfluorosulfonic-acid membranes for fuel cells: Impact on the structure and the functional properties
- Author
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Mylène Robert, Assma El Kaddouri, Marie Crouillere, Jean-Christophe Perrin, Laetitia Dubau, Florence Dubelley, Kévin Mozet, Meriem Daoudi, Jérôme Dillet, Jean-Yves Morel, Sébastien Leclerc, Olivier Lottin, Laboratoire Énergies et Mécanique Théorique et Appliquée (LEMTA ), Université de Lorraine (UL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Genèse et Usage d'Interfaces Durables pour l'Energie (GUIDE), Laboratoire d'Electrochimie et de Physico-chimie des Matériaux et des Interfaces (LEPMI), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), and Electrochimie Interfaciale et Procédés (EIP)
- Subjects
Mechanical fatigue ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,[SPI.FLUID]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Reactive fluid environment ,Water mobility ,05 social sciences ,Energy Engineering and Power Technology ,[CHIM.CATA]Chemical Sciences/Catalysis ,02 engineering and technology ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Chemical degradation ,Durability ,[CHIM.POLY]Chemical Sciences/Polymers ,[CHIM.GENI]Chemical Sciences/Chemical engineering ,Water sorption ,0502 economics and business ,[SPI.GPROC]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Chemical and Process Engineering ,Nafion ™ membrane ,050207 economics ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,[CHIM.OTHE]Chemical Sciences/Other ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
International audience; Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are key components for the operation of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). They undergo harsh conditions in terms of chemical environment and mechanical fatigue leading to irreversible degradations, up to their failure and to the Fuel Cell (FC) shutdown in worst cases. Through an ex-situ approach, this study aims to provide new insights about the impact of conjoint mechanical and chemical stresses on the structure and the functional properties of PFSA membranes. In this regard, various aging tests have been carried out using a custom-made device able to combine the application of a mechanical stress (sinusoidal profile) and the exposure to an environment containing free radicals (i.e. Fenton's reagents). After about twenty hours of accelerated aging test the analysis of the aged membranes permitted to demonstrate that the exposure to the combined stress significantly altered the morphology of Nafion ™ XL membrane, with the appearance of bubbles close to the membrane surface and even delamination at the PFSA/reinforcement interface. On the other hand, and rather paradoxically, the water sorption and self-diffusion properties of the aged membranes as well as their cell performances remained satisfactory.
- Published
- 2022
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