Fuel Cell Catalyst Layer Coating

Fuel Cell Catalyst Layer Coating The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is one of the most researched proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems. Their low operating temperature and high energy density make them an attractive alternative for the electronic device market. In spite of these advantages the adoption and commercialization of DMFC fuel cells have been slow mainly because of the high manufacturing costs of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the most expensive component of direct methanol fuel cells. The catalysts used in the MEA consist of either platinum or platinum alloys, which are historically expensive materials. In addition to the cost of materials, manufacturing of MEAs is still performed with techniques developed for small-scale manufacturing, resulting in high production costs. It would greatly benefit the fuel cell industry if alternative materials and cost-effective defect-free large-scale manufacturing techniques were developed for the MEA. In PEM fuel cel