Real-time CO2 Detection from Carbon Support Oxidation in PEM Fuel Cell Cathodes during Potential Cycling

A CO2 detection system that enables in-situ and real-time monitoring of CO2 formation from carbon corrosion during start-stop potential cycling was developed. The set-up included a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) CO¬2 detector connected to the fuel cell cathode exhaust. For both Ketjen Black (KB) and Platinum/Ketjen Black (Pt/KB) (50 wt% carbon) cathodes, the amount of CO2 was found to increase with the number of potential cycles (up to 500 cycles) and the carbon loading. Pt was found to increase the initial rate (µg CO2/cycle) of CO2 formation, confirming the findings of earlier studies that Pt accelerates carbon corrosion. Preliminary calculations show that carbon loss is about 30% for both KB and Pt/KB cathodes under the potential cycling protocol used in this study. Pt only acts as a catalyst for the reaction, and it does not significantly affect the total carbon loss which is a function of the amount of corrodible carbon.